Even if the book you are reading doesn't have audio with it, you still must fill out questions and/or complete a book review or book report. Download the handouts here or get them from Mr. Enders. The books are listed alphabetically by the authors last name. You must complete ALL the questions, activities and a book report to get credit for reading the book.
If you can't locate a book report form or activities for the book you would like to read, ask Mr. Enders if the book you would like to read is appropriate and then download the general book review form and complete it when you have finished the book.
Cleary, Beverly
The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapters 1-2 and vocab | 3-4 and vocab | 5-6 and vocab | 10-11 and vocab | 12-13 and vocab | test | book report form
Flake, Sharon
The Skin I'm In: Chapters 1-7 | 8-14 | 15-21 | 22-32 | vocab test | book test | book report form
Flieschman, Paul
Seedfolks: Kim-Gonzalo and vocab | Leona-Virgil and vocab | Sae Young-Nora and vocab | Maricela-Florence and vocab | test | book report form
Kinney, Jeff
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: November-February | March-June | September-November | test | vocab test | book report form
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules: Pages 1-51 | 52-104 | 105-151 | 152-217 | test | vocab test | book report form
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw: January | February | March-April | May-June | test | vocab test | book report form
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days: book review instructions
Henkes, Kevin
Olive's Ocean: Chapters 1-15 and vocab | 16-32 and vocab | 33-55 and vocab | 56-68 and vocab | test | vocab test | book report form
Hesse, Karen
Out of the Dust: Winter-Spring 1934 and vocab | Summer-Autumn 1934 and vocab | Winter 1935 and vocab | Spring-Autumn 1935 and vocab | test | vocab test | book report form
Witness: Act One | Act 2 | Act 3 | Act 4 | Act 5 | vocab test | test | book report form
Hiassen, Carl
Hoot: Chapters 1-5 and vocab | 6-10 and vocab | 11-14 and vocab | 15-18 and vocab | 19-epilogue and vocab | book report form
Paulsen, Gary
Lawn Boy: Chapters 1-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | test | vocab test | book report form
Riordan, Rick
The Demigod Files: book review instructions
The Sea of Monsters: Chapters 1-5 and vocab | 6-10 | 11-14 | test | vocab test | book report form
Book report forms, reading questions and activities
How I will grade your blog posts
Students — your posts will count as class participation credit. I will grade each one on a scale of 100.
You will receive 50 points for fully completing all parts of the assignment, and 50 points for correct grammar and spelling.
I will take off 5 points for each spelling or grammar error, up to 50 points total.
Essays posted on your blog will be graded using the standard rubric we will use all year.
601, 602 and 603: HW for Monday, Nov. 2-Monday, Nov. 9
#32: Read for at least two hours and write one page answering the questions: What are the themes of the book you are reading? how do you know? what actions or events in the story tell you what the themes are? If you were an author and you wrote a novel, what kinds of themes would you address? how and why? (Due Monday, 11/2)
#33: Read p. 16 in the WRITE! book and complete A, B and C on p. 17. (Due Wednesday, 11/4)
#34: Reading response. (Due Thursday, 11/5)
#35: Read p. 18 in the WRITE! book and complete A, B and C on p. 19. (Due Friday, 11/6)
#36: Read for at least two hours and write one page answering the questions:
1. Who are the main characters in your book?
2. How would you describe them? what are they like?
3. How do they change during the story? to explain the changes, choose 2 examples from to show what they were like after they before they changed and two examples to show what they were like after they changed.
4. What is the most interesting, funny or surprising thing that has happened in your book between two characters? what happened? why did you find it interesting, surprising, or funny? (Due Monday, 11/9)
Book talks
Each student is responsible for in-class book talks on a book they have read. The requirements for the book talks are that each student has a visual aid, has written notes or a full script of what they will say, and includes the following 7 pieces of information in their talk:
1. when was the book first published? (find the copyright page) (c)
2. who are the main characters?
3. what are the major events in the plot? (at least 5)
4. what are the book’s themes? How do you know?
5. what is the author trying to tell us? How do you know?
6. would you tell another student to read this? why or why not?
7. what is a question you would like to ask the author? why?
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE FULL RUBRIC FOR THE BOOK TALK BY CLICKING HERE.
theme (n) = a main idea or repeated idea in a book, movie, play or other piece of writing
examples of themes are: love, betrayal, politics, gender, violence...
Sample reading response
Click here for the example reading response.
The 16 writing prompts you will use for the analytical part of your responses are:
1.I wonder what this means...
2.I really don’t understand this part...
3.I really like/dislike this idea because...
4.This character reminds me of somebody I know because...
5.This character reminds me of myself because...
6.This character is like (name of character) in (title of book) because...
7.I think this setting is important because...
8.This scene reminds me of a similar scene in (title of book) because...
9.I like/dislike this writing because....
10.This part is very realistic/unrealistic because....
11.I think the relationship between ______and ______ is interesting because...
12.This section makes me think about, because...
13.I like/dislike (name of character) because...
14.This situation reminds me of a similar situation in my own life. It happened when...
15.The character I most admire is ________ because...
16.If I were (name of character) at this point, I would...
Upcoming tutorials/test prep
If you have an issue finding a computer to use to do the Acuity sessions, please come to tutorials — Monday and Wednesday after school, 2:50-4:30 p.m.
There are also libraries all over the city. Click for locations in Manhattan and the Bronx.
These are the upcoming Saturday tutorials, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. to
Dec. 13
Dec. 20
Jan. 10
Jan. 17
Winter break assignment
The 2008-2009 winter break assignment is due Tuesday, January 6, 2009.
Click here to download the essay question for the assignment.
Recent essay prompts
If you still need to write or turn in any of the the essays I've assigned in class, you can download and print the prompts here:
Prompt #1
Prompt #2
Prompt #3
Printable ELA worksheets
Does your student need more help in ELA? You can download and print handouts for review from Super Teachers Worksheets, a free website.
The available worksheets include parts of speech, grammar and proofreading.
African Burial Ground
If you lost the handouts I gave you on the African Burial Ground, you can see them here.
Unearthing the Past, then Burying it with Respect
The New York Times, 10/2/2003
Wikipedia
African Burial Ground National Monument
Slavery in New York
Memoir assignment
Here is the grading rubric for the memoir assignment. The first draft of the memoir is due on Sept. 25 and the final draft is due on Sept. 29.
Mastery learning assignment
You can download the mastery learning assignment for the fall 2008-2009 semester here.
The project is due Friday, January 23. It is worth a maximum of 10 extra points on the student's final ELA semester grade.
When the project is completed, please submit to me with the assignment page as the cover page.
Middle school summer reading assignment
Enjoy your summer. The summer reading assignment is due Sept. 26.
Click here to download it.
Poetry project rubric
Project is due on June 8.
You will write 7 poems (70 points)
10 points: 1 sonnet
5 points: a limerick
5 points: 1 rubaiyat
5 points: 1 haiku
10 points: 1 ode
5 points: 1 poem in free verse
5 points: 1 acrostic
5 points: 1 poem in blank verse
20 points: 2 poems in any of the styles from this list
You will write analyses of three poems you choose. (30 points)
5 points: explain any vocabulary words in the poem
10 points: explains any figurative language in the poem
5 points: explains the poem's form, meter, verse structure and rhyme scheme
5 points: say something you like or don't like about the poem
5 points: spelling and grammar
For each poem you write or write about, you should make a new post. You can see some examples here.
Example analysis
Example poem