Penultimate Reading Buddies

Our penultimate visit to our Reading Buddies was, in my opinion, the best yet! You guys have improved so much - both in confidence and reading skills. A great job, well done :)

And our buddies have grown so much over the 9 months we have known them. Take a look...

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poetry Project

We are approaching the end of our Poetry Unit. We have learnt about different types of poems (Rhyming, Similes and metaphors, Alliteration, Personification and Nonsense) and reflected on these poems. 

Most of you wrote a practice reflection essay (personification) and submitted it to me so I could give you feedback for the final essay. If you didn't give it to me, then you will not have this very important feedback.

Final Project: 

To choose a poem and evaluate it. You will need to:

• Analyze the word choice, sounds, feelings and topics that the poet uses in the poem. 
• Your essay should include analysis of the topic (theme), message, rhythm and word choice. 
• It should have both an introduction and a conclusion. 

Final Project Question:

Evaluate Your Favourite Poem

Steps:

Step 1: We have read different poems throughout this unit and you need to choose your favourite poem. (Poems are available at the bottom of this post) If you have another poem you would like to evaluate, see me and we will discuss.

Step 2: You need to carefully read the feedback from your practice essay.

Step 3: You should read the Essay Feedback Sheet, which is everyone's  feedback together in one document.

Step 4: I have written an example reflective essay - read this for an idea of structure, what to include and how to write about poetry. HOWEVER, DO NOT COPY MINE! It will be very obvious to me ;)


Step 5: Check out this website for ideas about how to write an essay about poetry.

Step 6: Plan your essay. You need to show me the plan before you start to write.

Step 7: Write your 1st draft.

Step 8: Peer assess

Step 9: Edit and write your 2nd draft

Step 10: Teacher assess

Step 11: Edit and write your 3rd draft electronically

Step 12: Proofread - check for spelling, grammar, punctuation and format.

Poems to choose from:


Please Mrs. Butler
Peanut Butter Sandwich
Billy McBone 
Going for Water
All Day I Hear the Noise of Waters
The Dance of the Thirteen Skeletons
Willow and Gingko
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Ode to Mi Gato
Two Sunflowers Move in the Yellow Room
April Rain Song
The Sky is Low
Bleezer's Ice Cream Store
The Sneetches

AIS Book Week!

23rd - 27th April 2012

AIS's theme for this year's Book Week is: 'One World, Many Stories'

What does this mean to you?

Activities to celebrate how fabulous books are...and libraries...and reading...and imaginations...and stories...and book recommendations...and sharing...Can you tell I'm excited? Haha! :)

Design a bookmark competition

• Design a bookmark that fits this year's Book Week theme. The winning design will be turned into a real bookmark to be distributed among students checking books out in the upcoming weeks AND each winner will be awarded a gift certificate to Fahasa!

Favourite First Lines

• Throughout AIS Book Week, submit a favorite first sentence from a book... one that makes you want to read the rest of the book! Receive a sweet treat from the library each time you submit a great sentence!

Some of my favourites:

“It was the day my grandmother exploded.” The Crow Road, by Iain Banks (I was addicted to this book when I was a teenager!)

“Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge.” The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

“It was love at first sight.” Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

DEAR - Drop Everything And Read

• Daily DEAR time during Advisory (at least 20 minutes)
• Daily DEAR time during LA and ESL :)
  

Guess How Many Books Are in the Library! - sponsored by Student Council

• Each guess cost 5,000d... try to guess how many books (total!) are in the library's collection.
• The closest guess wins 200,000d, a gift certificate to Fahasa, AND a photo with the lovely Ms. Stacia!
• The money raised through this fundraiser will go to the local Thi Nghe Orphanage

Look out for HUGE posters of teachers' favourite books :)