Grade 6 Reading Response Homework Program 2014-15

You are responsible for reading at least 1 book each month from September to June Inclusive (10 books). You must respond to each of the books in one of the ways suggested in the “Types of Reading Responses” section of this handout. Assessment of the Reading Responses are based on a rubric (see downloads section) that will be used to identify future areas for improvement in those Reading Responses. They are several components that make up the reading grade and this is one part.

Guidelines Please consider these guidelines carefully

1. The response must be neatly presented, preferably typed or neatly handwritten. 2. The responses are short, about 1 page but not more than 2 pages. 3.Do NOT write a lengthy summary of the story. 4.Do NOT copy lengthy sections from the book. 5.Do NOT use the same response format more than twice.

Types of Books A book must be suitable to your reading level. Please check with your teacher to ensure the book is appropriate for you before finalizing it

as your choice. You may get books for these responses from Abraham Erb’s library, your classroom library, public libraries or a book that you buy or have at home. Your choice of books should include at least 5 of the following genre choices over the course of the year. Students should choose books that have a minimum of 220 pages. a)Science Fiction b)Biography or Autobiography c) Adventure d) Humour e) Mystery f) Fantasy g) Poetry h) Legend i) Memoir j) Diary or Journal k) Graphic Novel l) your choice Due Dates

Responses are due on the last school day of each month ( except December and June which are due earlier) which are the following: September 30, October 30, November 28, December 17, January 30, February 27, March 27, April 30, May 29, June 20

Types of Reading Responses - (Note to parents) The responses are based on “Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy” and “Multiple Intelligences” The former is a hierarchy of understanding to which the activities are related. The level is indicated in brackets at the end of activity description. A further description is located in the download section of the class website (Bloom.pdf) Also, the later, Multiple Intelligences, is being targeted in each of the activities and is also indicated in brackets. For example activity #1 is (Remembering/Body), with “remembering” being related to Bloom’s Taxaonomy and “body” to kinesthetic attributes outlined in “Multiple Intelligences.” More on MI may be found at: http://infed.org/mobi/howard-gardner-multiple-intelligences-and-education/

Students, please check with your teacher to be sure the type of response you have chosen is appropriate for you 1. Use your S.T.E.A.M Temperature Scale to draw some faces that display some of the emotions of the main characters in your book. Also, draw some of your own emotions when you were reading your chosen text. (Remembering/Body) 2. Do you already know anything about this book? If so what are they. What self-to-text connections can you make to this book? (Remembering/Self) 3. Are there any animal or nature settings in your book? If yes, describe them. If no, could there have been? In either case draw and describe them. (Remembering/Nature)

4. Use Google Forms to make a test about your book. This test should have questions about the plot, characters, setting and main idea. Use a variety of different question and answer formats such as multiple choice, short answer and others. Share it on Google Drive. (Remembering/Word) 5. Retell an interesting part of the book in your own words. (Understanding/Word) 6. Draw a pie graph to illustrate nouns, verbs and adjectives that you learned. Understanding/Logical/Math 7. To show what you know about the book, make a picture book or a mural or a poster or a collage. (Understanding/Space and Vision) 8. Choose a passage from the text. Read it aloud to the class and make sound effects with different objects to link with the text. (Understanding/Music) 9. Explain in a diary entry how the text makes you feel. (Understanding/Self) 10. Find photographs of animals and nature in magazines. Paste these pictures onto bristol board. Write under each picture how it helps to explain your book. (Understanding/Nature) 11. Write a radio advertisement (30 seconds to 1 minute) for your text. Share it on Google Drive as an .mp3 audio file or a short video. Remember you want to convince people to read your book. (Applying/Word) 12. Make up a number problem relating to the text.

(Applying/Logic and Math) 13. Use sign language to teach skills or information from your book to others. Make a video and share it on google Drive or present your work to the class. (Applying/Body) 14. Make one of the following relating to your book and present it to the class; comic strip, pop-up book, jigsaw, poster, puppet show, maps, diorama or something else you may suggest. (Applying/Space and Vision) 15. Share some of your work with the class. It can include sharing your thoughts/beliefs and opinions about the book. (Applying/People) 16. Are there any problems in your book? If so, list them and describe how you would solve them. (Applying/Self) 17. Write a diary entry from the main character or the authors point of view about the most interesting part in the book. (Applying/Self) 18. Use a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast 2 of the main characters in the book. (Analyzing/Word) 19. If you met the author or one of the characters from your book, what five questions would you ask them? (Analyzing/Self) 20. Review the book from someone else’s perspective Do you agree with their opinions, thoughts and beliefs? (Evaluating/Word) 21. Develop criteria for evaluating book covers. Develop a checklist. ( Evaluating/Space and Vision)

22. Do you think this book needs illustrations? Part A-Write 3 reasons why or why not by referring to the text. Part B-Explain and draw some illustrations you would include. Part C-What changes would you make to the illustrations? Part D-Draw some. ( Evaluating/Space and Vision) 23. Write a letter to the class recommending, or not recommending, they read the book. (Evaluating/People) 24. Explain a feeling you had when reading a particular part of the book. Tell what section (including page numbers) and why you feel this way. (Evaluating/Self) 25. Design a set of test questions that the teacher might give to someone who has read the book. Make the questions “thick questions.” Include an answer sheet. (Creating/Word) 26. Explain what you are still confused about or don’t understand from the book. Make a list of strategies you could use to better understand a text. (Creating/Self) 27. Make some predictions about what might happen in the future, relating to your book. (Creating/Self) 28. Propose an activity to the teacher to demonstrate your understand of the text. Consider your strengths according to our Multiple Intelligences survey when formulating your proposal. (Creating) *The charts below provides some ipad app and web based app ideas if you are able to access them at home.