Identifying Central Ideas and Text Evidence in Nonfiction Paired Texts

 

 Today's Learning Objectives   * Determine central ideas of a text. * Read closely to determine what they text says and cite specific textual evidence. * Analyze how two or more texts address similar topics.

Paired Texts Introduction  A thought-provoking nonfiction article about the problem of overuse injuries is paired with a moving personal essay about the author’s son coping with rejection in basketball. You can find both the article "Playing with Pain" and the essay "Travel Team Heartbreak" here (an accesss code will be provided).

Vocabulary Preview  Let's preview some of the key vocabulary that will be featured in these paired texts. Below you will find a list of tricky words featured in the article and essay, as well as definitions and example sentences. Each group will be responsible for mastering one word and teaching it to the class.  

 

Focus on Identifying Central Ideas and Text Evidence  As we read the paired texts together our focus will be on identifying central ideas and providing text evidence. Remember that a central idea of a text is one of the main points the author is making. (Sometimes a central idea is called a main idea.) A central idea can always be 

supported with details from the text. 

When you write about something you have read, you need to use supporting evidence‚ or text evidence, to back up whatever point you are making. Most of your evidence will be details from the text you are writing about.

You can find the assignments Central Ideas and Details (Paired Texts) and Text Evidence (Paired Texts) in your Language Arts Google Classroom.  

Homework  (1.) Read your A.R. book at home for at least 30 minutes and, if you choose, make a reading log entry using the Digital Reading Log. (Remember you must have made at least one entry by the end of the day Friday.)  (2.) Complete work on your 100 Word Challenge: Five Words story, which we will publish on tomorrow, Friday, January 22. (3.) Complete work on your Newsela Article, which is due on tomorrow, Friday, January 22.

100 Word Challenge and Newsela

How will you skillfully integrate these 5 words into this week's 100 Word Challenge?

 Today's Learning Objective  Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

100 Word Challenge: Drafting  Enjoy some time today to continue drafting your 100 Word Challenge: Five Words story. Are you skillfully incorporating the words from this week's prompt? Do you have a clear beginning, middle, and an end? Are making a point to include precise words and descriptive details? Continue to work at becoming the very best writer you can be!

Reading Informational Text: Newsela Article In your Language Arts Google Classroom you will find a link to the Newsela article "Knees are being injured more often, especially in girls." Click the link, set the reading level to to 820L (5th grade), and read the article carefully. Next, take the quiz and then write the constructed response paragraph in which explain the central idea of the article and use at least two details from the article to support your response. 

Homework  (1.) Read your A.R. book at home for at least 30 minutes and, if you choose, make a reading log entry using the Digital Reading Log. (Remember you must have made at least one entry by the end of the day Friday.)  (2.) Continue working on your 100 Word Challenge: Five Words story, which we will publish on Friday, January 22. (3.) Complete work on your Newsela Article, which is due on Friday, January 22.

Peer Editing, Poem Publishing, and a 100 Word Challenge

I hope each of you enjoyed your Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and took at least a moment yesterday to reflect on Dr. King's message of non-violence, peace, and social justice. May his dream live on through the actions of each of us. 

Peer Editing and Revision  Writing is a process that includes many stages, which includes brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and ultimately publishing. Most of us are currently in the middle of that process now with regards to our  "I Am From" Poem. As we seek to improve our writing and make each piece as good as it possible be, it's important to remember how important editing is as part of the writing process. No published author writes a perfect piece of writing the first time through; they are constantly revising and editing until they get it just right. 

Today you will have an opportunity to share you current piece of writing (in whatever state it's in) with one of your peers in class. Your task when reviewing a partner's writing is to both help with basic editing and to provide constructive feedback that is helpful to the writer. 

After you know who you will be sharing your writing with, click on "Share at the top of your document. Next, enter their full name and click "Done." The document should now be available in the "Shared with Me" or "Incoming" section of your Google Drive.

 

What things should you be looking for as your read your classmate's work? If something is unclear to you, ask about it. If you can think of a more descriptive or precise word to use, suggest it. If your partner made a basic mistake with capitalization, spelling, or punctuation, point it out. 

When commenting on another's writing remember some of these basic guidelines: 

There are a couple of ways to make suggestions and comments. You can use the "Suggesting" function within Google Docs, where you can make suggested edits that the writer can then later accept or reject. 

Secondly, you could also simply highlight text and make comments and suggestions that way. 

Finally, your peer editing should include a balance of corrections, suggestions, and compliments. Positive feedback is important too! 

 

"I Am From" Poem: Finishing Touches and Publishing  Now it's time to make sure your "I Am From" Poem is ready to be published. Please read your poem aloud to yourself. How does it sound? Did you carefully select descriptive words that connect with your reader and allow them to visualize your world? Does it flow? Before publishing, make sure you remove the suggestions in parenthesis from the original scaffold. Also, make sure to add your byline at the beginning or end of your poem (e.g., By Matt). 

Next, let's publish your poem! Copy the text of your poem from the Google Doc and then head over to Kidblog. Make a new post and title it "I Am From" Poem. Paste the text of your poem. Make sure that it looks they you want it to. Finally, click "Publish". Congratulations! You have published another piece of writing! My hope is to have you read your poems aloud to the class by the end of this week, so you may want to begin practicing.

A New 100 Word Challenge:  Red   Hard   Mountain   Floated   Umbrella  This week's challenge is another unique one. It doesn't involve a picture or a designated phrase, but it's rather made up of a random assortment of five words. Read more about the challenge below. 

You can find the assignment 100 Word Challenge: Five Words in your Language Arts folders. How will you strategically weave this 5 words throughout your story, while still constructing a logical narrative? What will these specially chosen words add to your story? Remember the words can be used in whatever order you see fit. Also, remember as you write to continue developing your imagery by using precise words, sensory details, and literary devices such as similes. We publish on Friday. Have fun!   

Homework  (1.) Read your A.R. book at home for at least 30 minutes and, if you choose, make a reading log entry using the Digital Reading Log. (Remember you must have made at least one entry by the end of the day Friday.)  (2.) Continue working on your 100 Word Challenge: Five Words story, which we will publish on Friday, January 22.

Goal-Setting and Library Visit

Schoolgirl Who Devoured 942 Books in One Year Tells Us Why She Loves Reading 10-year-old Faith Jackson of Altrincham, England loves to read. How much? In 2014, this Mighty Girl read 942 books -- an average of 464 pages a day! It’s a remarkable feat all on its own, but even more inspiring considering that the avid reader used to struggle with literacy. Now, she’s thrilled to be spreading the word about the joys of reading with other kids. 

When Faith was around six or seven, she could barely read at all. Her mother, Laura Jackson, says, “When they tested her it came back as having dyslexic tendencies.” However, both her parents found ways to encourage her to keep trying. "I think the main thing was we didn't push her and they didn't make her read all the time at school. We just read to her instead to help her enjoy books rather than making it a big deal. It finally did click for her -- and then it just went off into the stratosphere.” (Via A Mighty Girl)

Faith Jackson and some of her books.

To learn more about Faith's story and watch a video of her explaining why she loves reading, visit here. 

Accelerated Reader Goal-Setting  Today, let's think about our own reading practice and examine where we are, where we have been, and where we are going. First, I will distribute some reading data to each of, which, among other things, indicates your current reading level as well as your ZPD (which stands for Zone of Proximal Development and is a suggestion of the reading levels you should currently be reading). I want you to record this data along with the corresponding colors (see the first chart below for reference) on your Reading Data and Goal-Setting Chart, located in your Language Arts Google Classroom. 

Next, please login to the Accelerated Reader site, click 'Progress, click 'Current Marking Period,' select 'Marking Period M2,' and review how you did with regards to achieving last quarter's goal. What will your reading goal be this quarter? If you're unsure about what would be appropriate based on your reading level, refer to the second chart below. Once you have decided and cleared it with me, go ahead and indicate your 3rd Quarter Reading Goal on your Reading Data and Goal-Setting Chart. I will later enter that goal into the Accelerated Reader system so you can track your current progress. Good luck this quarter! 

Library Visit  Now let's head on over to the library and find books that are within our Zone of Proximal Development, are of interest to us, and will help us reach our 3rd Quarter Reading Goal! Please bring with you any books that you are returning or renewing, along with your student ID card.  

Star Testing and Poetry Writing

Star Reading Test  Today you will take the Star Reading Test in order to reassess your reading level. My hope is that each of you will show growth today compared to the assessments from the first semester of the school year. Considering how dedicated many of you have been to your reading, I'm excited to see how well you do. You may take the test here. Remember, after logging in to click on "Star Reading." Read carefully. Good luck! 

Writing Activity: "I Am From" Poem  Today is your last class day to work on your "I Am From" Poem. Remember to think carefully about each word you choose. Consider reading each line of your poem as you write. Are you capturing the tone and feelings that you're aiming for? Also, as you continue to improve and revise your poem, consider adding more sensory details. A handy list of sensory details can be found here. Can your reader visualize the objects, people, places, and experiences your poem seeks to capture? The "I Am From" Poem assignment needs to be 'turned in' tomorrow, Friday, January 15.

Homework  (1.) Read your A.R. book at home for at least 30 minutes and, if you choose, make a reading log entry using the Digital Reading Log. (Remember you must have made at least one entry by the end of the day Friday.)  (2.) Complete your "I Am From" Poem, which is due tomorrow, Friday, January 15.

We Are All Writers!

We Are All Writers Now  Over the course of the first half of the school year, I have witnessed a transformation in many of you. Some of you have gone from seeing writing as a dreadful task required at school to embracing writing as a craft that is worthy of your time and talents. You are all writers now; there's no changing that. Each of you has a voice and a poem and a story to tell. As you move forward with your writing, I thought it would be important to hear the advice of some more established writers. Is there a quote below that resonates with you? Talk to with a teammate about the words of advice that most stand out to you and why. Be prepared to share.
      

Writing Activity: "I Am From" Poem  Today's class period is simply dedicated to writing and working on your "I Am From" Poem. Think carefully about each word you choose. Consider reading each line of your poem as you write. Are you capturing the tone and feelings that you're aiming for? Also, as you continue to improve and revise your poem, consider adding more sensory details. A handy list of sensory details can be found here. Can your reader visualize the objects, people, places, and experiences your poem seeks to capture? 

I know it's still a work in progress, but I wanted to share with you a poem that one of your classmates is writing. I love its simplicity, careful word choices, descriptive details, and the feelings it evokes. These are the words of a truly talented writer. 

By Aiden

Homework  (1.) Read your A.R. book at home for at least 30 minutes and, if you choose, make a reading log entry using the Digital Reading Log. (Remember you must have made at least one entry by the end of the day Friday.)  (2.) Continue working on your"I Am From" Poem, which is due Friday, January 15.

New Year, New Beginning

New Year's Reading Resolutions  Welcome back! I hope each of you had a wonderful and relaxing winter break and that you feel refreshed, renewed, and ready for the new year. Many of us use the the new year as an opportunity for a new beginning; as a chance to start over and begin anew. We often make resolutions or commitments to work on or improve certain things about ourselves. 

In addition to any personal resolutions you may have made, I would like all of us to recommit ourselves to becoming better and more enthusiastic readers in 2016. Below is a list of 100 New Year's Reading Resolutions (A copy has also been placed in your Language Arts Google Classroom). My hope is that you will try to complete as many as possible and in the process further strengthen your enthusiasm for books, literacy, and reading. Each week I'm going to ask you to try a least one new reading resolution and make note of it on your  Digital Reading Log. As for reading and the Digital Reading Log, you are still required to read for at least 30 minutes a day each day during the school week. However, now you are only required to make one reading log entry during the week, as opposed to the previous two.     

Introduction to 'I Am From' Poems  Towards the end of last quarter we finished our poetry unit in which we read and analyzed the poems of others. Now it's time to write our own. Since this will be the first attempt for some of us at writing poetry, I thought it would be a good idea for us all to use a similar format that is scaffolded and accessible. Today we will begin writing "I Am From" poems.

A poem by George Ella Lyon called "Where I’m From" is the inspiration for this activity. In her poem Lyon uses descriptive language and sensory details to tell the story of the everyday things, people, and places that together tell the story of where she comes from. You can read her poem here and watch the video version below. 

                                      

The poem lends itself to imitation and many have tried, including students. Check out some of the student examples below. 

By Evelyn from Lakeview Middle School

Writing Your Own "I Am From" Poem  Now it's your turn to write a poem that illustrates where you are from. The "I Am From" Poem template can be found in your Language Arts Google Classroom. If you're having trouble getting started and would like an opportunity to brainstorm ideas before drafting your poem, try using the "I Am From" Pre-Write document, which can also be found in your Language Arts Google Classroom. 

As you move forward in the writing process and begin to improve and revise your poem, consider adding more sensory details. A handy list of sensory details can be found here. 

Homework  (1.) Read your A.R. book at home for at least 30 minutes and, if you choose, make a reading log entry using the Digital Reading Log. (Remember you must have made at least one entry by the end of the day Friday.)  (2.) Continue working on the "I Am From" Poem, which is due Friday, January 15.