Week One: Hellos and Missouri Truman Book Award Nominees

So we've spent a couple days getting to know each other. It helps me to know your interests and strengths as we begin the year.  This knowledge helps me when we start group projects and when I assign reading books.  Most importantly, knowing these things helps me to have better conversations with you as a student.  I love getting to know all my students and who they are as individuals.

This week we talked about our first Reading Unit.  I call this one "Good Reads."  Truman Book Award Nominees are chosen for many reasons.  I have always felt starting off the school year reading one of these books sets a positive tone for the class.  We discussed each book briefly in class this week.  I set up students in groups for the unit.  Then each group voted and chose their book.  

In this unit we are going to learn about and discuss finding the main characters, the plots, the theme, the setting, the conflicts, the resolution. We will spend time each day talking about a different topic and the students will have independent reading time. They will also work together to create a poster to be presented at the end of the unit.  

This is always one of my favorite units.  The students really dive into different types of learning and start to form relationships with their peers. This unit will provide a foundation for what they will be learning all year.  

I encouraged them to all go home and look up more information about the books they are interested in from the Truman Nominee List.

Here is the list:
96 Miles by J.L. Esplin
Before the After by Woodson. Jacqueline
Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Glitch by Laura Martin
Splinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy
The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling
The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae
The Light in Hidden Places: A Novel Based on the True Story of Stefania Podgorski by Sharon the Cameron
The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne
Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick
We Dream of Space by Erin Entada Kelly



 

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