What Do You Notice? What Do You Wonder?

It is important for us to understand what we read. One strategy we can use is thinking "I Notice" and "I Wonder." The things you notice help you gain meaning of what you are wondering. The things you wonder give you a purpose for reading on or give you a clue to go back and reread for meaning.

Read a book, or a section from the book. Respond to the next by writing what you notice and what you wonder.

Example:

Text: The Wednesday Wars

I notice that Holling Hoodhood, the main character is on a camping trip with his teacher, classmates, and principal. Even though miserable things are happening (lost silverware, downpour in the middle of the night, and pesky mosquitoes) it seems as tough Holling and his classmates and teacher are having a really good time. I also realize that the principal is miserable. She is staying holed up in her tents (the only tent) for most of the activities.

I wonder how Holling and the students are finding joy with all the miserable things that are happening on the trip. I'm wondering if the fun part isn't about the weather or ease of the trip, but is instead about being able to spend time together.

Show Not Tell

We have been working a lot with Show Not Tell. We learned that author's use "senses" to Show Not Tell.
Here's an example from Hoot, by Carl Haissen.
The hood was either black or dark blue, and Roy couldn't see a speck of light through the heavy fabric. Blindly he stumbled and swayed through the thicket but the barefoot boy kept him from falling. Roy knew they were out of the trees when the air got warmer and the ground beneath his feet got flat. He could smell the fertilized sod of the golf course.

These senses were used:
sight: black or dark blue, couldn't see a speck of light
touch: air got warmer, ground beneath his feet got flat
smell: smell the fertilized sod

Find an example of Show Not Tell in the text you are reading.
Include:

• Title and Author
• Passage From The Text
• Examples Of The Senses Used

Comprehension Strategies

We have practiced the following comprehension strategies in school:

• Making Predictions
• Making Connections
• Summarizing
• "Lifting A Line"
• Thinking "I Notice" and "I Wonder"
• "Leaning In"

Think about one of the strategies you have used this week while you were reading.

Your task:
Write down the title of the book you read.
Explain the strategy you used and how it helped you make meaning of the text.

Example:
Title: The Wednesday Wars
Strategy: Visualizing
I read a section of the text where the main character, Holling Hoodhood, was asked by his teacher to clean out the class pets' cage. The pets were rats. I could visualize the rats beady little eyes and large yellow teeth gnawing at the food Holling had for them. They looked almost evil. I could sense Holling not wanting to have to touch them or have them touch him. It was like a movie in my mind when Holling was trying to get the rats back into their regular cage from the smaller one he had while he cleaned. There was an opening between the cages and the rats escaped. I could hear them in the walls of the school and see he and the teacher jumping up onto the desks fearful of the rats. 
 

Show Not Tell

We have been noticing examples of "Show Not Tell" in the stories we are reading and have been practicing writing pieces using "Show Not Tell."

Find a strong example of "Show Not Tell" in the book you are reading. Record it on this blog.

Include:

Title

Author

Example of "Show"

What the "Show" is "Telling" You

Here's an example:
Title: Ramona The Pest
Author: Beverly Cleary
Show: Ramona wanted to be sure she did not lose her tooth, because she needed it for bait to catch the tooth fairy. She planned to pile a lot of clattery things like sauce pans and pie tins and old broken down toys beside her bed so the tooth fairy would wake her up.
Tell: Ramona wanted to see the tooth fairy. 

Visualizing

We learned about different ways to visualize this week. Sometimes we see "still pictures" as we read. Other times we are able to see the book like a "movie" and that helps us gain a deeper understanding of what we read. An even deeper level of understanding comes when we feel like we are in the story.

Share what you are reading. Tell how and what you are visualizing.

Week of September 27th

We are a community of readers! Add a comment about whether the books you are reading "keeps you reading."
Consider:

• Is the book interesting? Why?
• Is the book about something that you already know a lot about? (For example Ian knowing a lot about sharks.)
• Is the book one that someone else told you about?

Here's my example:
I am reading the book, Crash by Jerry Spinelli. This book has definitely been holding my attention. I find it interesting because the main character, Crash Coogan, is changing. At the beginning of the story he was more or less a bully. He is developing into a more caring, respectful person. This happened after his grandfather had a stroke. No one told me to read this book, but I picked it up because of the author. There has not been a book that I haven't liked that Jerry Spinelli wrote. 

Remember to:

• Write using capitals and end marks.
• Add details in your comment.

Because of Winn Dixie

Think about the characters in the text:

• India Opal
• The Preacher
• Otis
• Miss Franny Block
• Gloria Dump
• Sweetie Pie Thomas
• Amanda
• Winn Dixie

Which character do you find most interesting? Explain why you find this character interesting and cite evidence from the text to support your ideas.