And by the way, GOOD JOB on making sure that you weren’t posting your comments on the other class’s post during this project! I love it when I don’t have to try to move things around. You all really seem to be getting the hang of things out here in the blogosphere.

But I’ll hurry up and get to the point. Here’s your task:

• Identify which book that you read during our project time that you are you going to choose to use when creating a Book Video. You should pick the one that you liked the most or that you think will produce the most interesting final product.
• Describe three images that you will have to find or create yourself that you know will DEFINITELY need to be in your Book Video to give an audience clear ideas about the plot/setting/characters of the book. Here are some examples to consider - Is there something that the main character loved more than anything and do you need to include a picture of it? Do you know someone that you could dress up to look like the main character and take pictures of them to help tell your story? Is the book set in a real place that photographs could illustrate? Do you need to create some digital art to represent something that was important?

There are lots of things to consider here. I’m feeling generous today, though, and I’ll give you an example of how I would answer this.

The book that I’ve chosen to make a video for is Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. This book concentrates heavily on technology and the fact that it is set in modern-day San Francisco, California. Three images that I feel I would need to include might be a picture of the Golden Gate bridge , a picture of an XBox , and a picture of a place called Treasure Island, which is off the coast of the city. I need the Golden Gate pic because it often is used as a symbol of the city, the XBox because it is featured in a major plotline, and the Treasure Island picture because that is the site of a Guantanamo Bay-style secret prison.

All right. Now you’ve seen how I’d make it happen and it’s YOUR TURN!

If you’ve been pacing yourselves, then you should at least have started your second book for this project over the weekend. As a result, we’re going to do a similar assignment this week to the one that kicked off the project. I’m curious as to where you are in the current process and always enjoy having some insight into the choices that you are making.

And so, without further ado, your questions for the week are:

• What book have you selected as your second reading option for this assignment?
• Why did you choose THIS book?
• How do you think it will compare to the first book that you read? For example, do you expect to like it more? Less? As much? Is it in a different genre than your first book or are the books similar? Any of those thoughts (or one that’s entirely your own) will be what Mrs. Scott and I will be looking for in your answers.

Comment away, people!

This week’s topic involves setting. Do you remember what the two components of setting in a literary or dramatic work happen to be? Well, in case you’ve forgotten, those are time and place (aka where and when). Here’s your assignment:

• Describe the setting from one of your project books (if you’ve read more than one to this point). You must include both time and place in your answer.

AND

• Explain how the setting impacts the story that you are reading. For example, people would be going about their day in different ways depending on where and when they lived. Life in Colonial Williamsburg was certainly different than it is in modern-day Louisville! Also, you could include thoughts about how the setting makes the book better or worse. Or if the setting seems authentic. Or if the setting seems just flat-out strange! This is an OPINION question, so please try to express an original thought here. We know that you have lots of those.

Remember that after you write your own comment that you need to also comment on something that a classmate has written! Each week you should be writing AT LEAST 2 comments!

Of course, I think that The Offspring might have been referring to gang violence, but the phrase still works for my purposes. Just roll with it.

To hopefully cut down on confusion, 6th and 8th graders will have separate posts for their weekly assignments. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE WRITING YOUR COMMENTS ON THE CORRECT POST OR THEY WILL BE DELETED. With that out of the way, on with the topic.

This is a two-part question.

• Name and describe the main character of your first project book. Include info such as the character’s age, physical features, and aspects of their personality.

AND

• Describe how you feel about the main character of your book. Do you like them? Dislike them? Do you think that you would want to interact with the character if he/she/it was a real person? Make sure that you tell us WHY you feel the way that you do.

Clear as mud? I hope so. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask in person or email me.

Take it away, 6th graders!

Today we kick off the LG 6th and 8th Grade Book Projects! Why no 7th, you ask? Well, they’re still kinda swamped with the whole portfolio thing, so they’re plenty busy. That doesn’t mean that 7th graders can’t get some excellent reading suggestions from the lists both other grades are using, though!

To get started on the right foot, I want everyone in both classes to respond to the following question:

What did you choose as your first book to read and what made you pick it?

Mrs. Scott and I will be looking to see that you actually put some content in your answer. Was it the plot? The cover? (we all know you’re not supposed to judge by those but they DO matter sometimes!) The characters sounded relatable/interesting? You’ve got to give us something to work with here. Not only for the fact that your grade will suffer if you can’t back up your own opinion, but because of the SECOND part of your assignment. That would be…

After telling us what book you chose and why, you need to make a comment about SOMEONE ELSE’S comment.

In other words, you’re going to respond to them just like you were talking to them in real life. Not that I’m sure I need to bring up “real life” since I’m sure most of you realize how commenting works if nowhere else than on social networking sites like MySpace.

Alrighty then! Have at it, kids!

Us grown-up-types are anxiously awaiting what YOU have to say!

-Mrs. N.