Independent Reading LetterMrs. Palmieri- English

cpalmieri@bayshoreschools.org

Dear Sixth Grade Parents or Guardians:

The Bay Shore Middle School values reading. We encourage our students to independently read texts they choose. I will monitor their progress, make book recommendations, and give students an opportunity to interact and develop active reading skills through independent reading.

Accountable Independent Reading has five purposes: To engage and motivate students in learning things they care about To promote students' love of reading To build students' vocabulary (reading often exposes students to new

words and ideas) To build students' knowledge about the world (through both fiction and

informational text) To build students' reading stamina (their ability to read difficult texts for

longer periods of time)

I am excited to share my extensive classroom library with your child. In addition, your child will have the opportunity to visit our awesome Bay Shore Middle School Library.

Students will be responsible for a Book Log. They are required to write the title and author. Please initial the start

and completion date. In addition, students will be given an independent reading assignment

approximately every 3-4 weeks. Your child will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of creative reading assignments.

I am excited to see how many books your child will read this school year!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Palmieri

Select an independent book to read by _______________________

x_____________ Parent signature

_____________________________________________________’s Book Log

How many books will you read this year?

# Title Author Date Started

Parent Initial

s

DateComplete

d

1. Select an interesting book to read. 2. Fill in the chart. 3. Enjoy!

Independent Reading AssignmentsMrs. Palmieri- English

Directions: You may choose any assignment listed below for your independent reading. Assignments # 1, 4 and 8 require that you complete the entire book.

The online websites can be found in our Google Classroom in the Independent Reading Assignments Folder

1) Book Talk (Book must be completed to select this assignment) Use the Book Talk Worksheet

Think of a book talk as a trailer to a movie. You want to tell people just enough about the book to interest them, so they will want to read it too!

2) (This is completed on a worksheet, not on social media!) Draw/print an accurate picture that occurred in a specific chapter. Use evidence from the text to make sure the picture is accurate. Write a caption that tells the GIST of the plot event or summary of book.

3) Twitter (This is completed on a worksheet, not on social media!)Create a TWEET that explains the GIST of a certain part/chapter of a book or novel. Maximum length of a “tweet” on Twitter is 140 characters (spaces and punctuation are included in the characters).

4) Interview a Character

(Book must be completed to select this assignment) See worksheet.Write eight questions to ask a main character in your book. Write the character's response to each question. The questions and answers should provide important plot information that shows that you read the book carefully. Go on >>>5) In the News

Create the front page of a newspaper that tells the summary of the main plot events and characters in your book. The title of the newspaper should be something appropriate to the book.

You can use these great websites: (Links can be found in our Google Classroom in the Independent Reading Assignments Folder)

https://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp

Search: ReadWriteThink Printing Press for a fun digital newspaper layout

6) Create a Comic Strip Turn your book, or important plot event into a comic strip, complete with comic-style illustrations and dialogue bubbles. Summarize four to six significant plot events in chronological order. Create pictures and dialogue bubbles to show what each character is saying. When you are finished, your comic strip should tell the gist of the story you have read. Be sure to include the title, author, and genre.

There are many great free websites to make digital strips.Search: comic strip makerTry: http://www.storyboardthat.com

7) Readers Response Menu Respond to your book.Select one item from the Appetizer section and one from the Entree. Read the directions on worksheet.

8) Wonderful Wordle or Word-It Out

What’s Wordle or Word-It Out ? It is a free website that creates a text cloud with different sizes, colors and fonts. Use the attached Planning Page and go to http://www.wordle.net/ or worditout.com and “CREATE” a text cloud about your book.

9) Create an acrostic poem for the main character of your book.Include descriptive phrases and grade appropriate adjectives for each letter of his/her name. One-word lines are not acceptable.

Name_____________________________________________ 6_________________

English ______________________

Book Talk Think of a book talk as a trailer to a movie. You want to tell people just enough about the book to interest them, so they will want to read it too!

Title:   _______________________________Author:  _________________

Opening (You want to hook your reader!) 2-3 sentences Read a strong/interesting quote from the book or begin with a captivating question  

Introduce the main character, title, author, genre Set the scene

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Summary (Summarize the plot of the book in 3-4 sentences)

Be sure your summary tells about the exposition and middle of story. Identify the problem Lead to the solution/resolution (but don’t give away the ending!)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Impression  (Share your opinion)

How do you feel about the book?       What do you think of the author? Who would you recommend this book to? (If you like (genre/other book

title), then you will like ________.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Closing (Entice your audience) Read one more quote from the book, or use a cliffhanger, or ask a

rhetorical question

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name _____________________________________ 6 _______________ #___________Independent Book Project: GIST Book Title_____________________________________ Author __________________________

Genre _____________________________Learning Targets:

I can draw/print an accurate picture that occurred in a specific chapter. I can use evidence from the text to make sure the picture is accurate. I can write a detailed caption that tells the GIST of the plot event or

summary of book.

Name HB #___

Twitter TweetIndependent Reading Assignment

Title of Book_____________________________________________

Author _________________________________________________

Genre __________________________________________________

Detailed Gist_______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Chapter/Summary___________________________________________

Goal: I can create a TWEET that explains the GIST of a certain chapter or summary of my independent reading book.

If you had to give the GIST of a chapter or summary of your book in a tweet, what would you write? Maximum length of a “tweet” on Twitter is 140 characters. (spaces and punctuation are included in the characters)

Helpful Hint- You do not need to include the title of the book in your tweet because you have stated that information at the top of this page.

Name_____________________________ 6_________ #________

English Date_____________

Interview a Character

Think of 8 questions relevant to the story's plot that you would like to ask the main character. You will have to answer the questions based on how the character would most likely answer them. Think about how the author describes the character’s personality because it may give you insight into how the character would respond.

Directions:

Describe the Character

Example: Jenny is a brave young girl who enjoys adventures.

You must write your questions and answers in this format:

1) Interviewer's Question_________________________________

Character's Answer _____________________________________

Example: Interviewer's Question: How did you feel when you went past the old black Dodge near the edge of the woods?

Character's Answer I was nervous and excited at the same time. I really wanted to be the first person to meet the dreaded boar.

Name______________________________________________

Interview a Character

Title of Book____________________________________________________

Author_________________________________________________________

Genre (type of story)______________________________________________

Describe the Character ____________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

1) Interviewer's Question_____________________________________________

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Character's Answer _________________________________________________

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2) Interviewer's Question_____________________________________________

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Character's Answer _________________________________________________

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3) Interviewer's Question_____________________________________________

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Character's Answer _________________________________________________

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4) Interviewer's Question_____________________________________________

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Character's Answer _____________________________________________________

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5) Interviewer's Question________________________________________________

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Character's Answer _____________________________________________________

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6) Interviewer's Question_________________________________________________

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Character's Answer _____________________________________________________

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7) Interviewer's Question_________________________________________________

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Character's Answer ____________________________________________________

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8) Interviewer's Question________________________________________________

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Character's Answer _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Name 6 # English

Independent Reading Assignment-Comic Strip

Title of Book:_____________________________

Author:_______________________ Genre: _____________________

Turn your book, or important plot event into a comic strip, complete with comic-style illustrations and dialogue bubbles. Summarize four to six significant plot events in chronological order. Create/Draw pictures and dialogue bubbles to show what each character is saying. When you are finished, your comic strip should tell the gist of the story you have read. Learning Target: I can create a comic strip that explains the GIST of an important plot event or summary of my book.

Gist: Name 6 # English

Independent Reading Assignment-In the NewsTitle of Book:_____________________________

Author:_______________________ Genre: _____________________

Create the front page of a newspaper that tells the summary of the main plot events and characters in your book. The title of the newspaper should be something appropriate to the book.

You can use these great websites: https://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp

Search: ReadWriteThink Printing Press for a fun digital newspaper layout

Print out your newspaper cover and glue/tape it to this page.

Name____________________________________________6 # English

Independent Reading Assignment-Reading Response

Title of Book:___________________________________________________

Author:_______________________________________Genre: __________________________

Reading Response MenuSelect one item from the Appetizer section and one from the Entree. Circle the items you select on the menu.

What could be another title for this book? Tell me why?

Pretend you are a character in the story. Write a letter to another character in the story. Include important plot details.

Compare the main character to What is the central theme (main idea)

another character in the story. Describe the similarities and/or differences.

of the text? How do you know? Provide textual evidence.

Share an interesting or significant plot event.

Is there a character in the book that you would like to be like? What characteristics would you develop within yourself?

Share 6 difficult words you encountered in this book. Write the definition and part of speech.

Pretend you are the author. Create an alternate ending for the story.

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Name____________________________________________6 # English

Independent Reading Assignment-Wonderful Wordle or Word-It Out

Planning Page

What’s Wordle or Word-It Out? It is a free website that creates a text cloud with different sizes, colors and fonts.

Create a text cloud to describe your book.

1) Directions: Write a list of words you will use for your text cloud.

Title __________________________________________ Example: The Lorax

Author________________________________________

Genre________________________________________

Main Character_________________________________

Character trait __________________________________

Main Character __________________________________

Character Trait____________________________________

Setting ____________________________________________

Theme( Main Idea/Message)_____________________________________________

Problem_______________________________________________________________

Solution________________________________________________________________

2) Go to https://worditout.com/ or http://www.wordle.net/ and “CREATE” a text cloud using these words. You will have to save your document in order to print it. Change the background to white to save ink!

3) Print your text cloud and tape or glue it to the back of this worksheet.

Name____________________________________________6 # English

Create an acrostic poem for the main character of your book.

Include descriptive phrases and grade appropriate adjectives for each letter of his/her name.

One-word lines are not acceptable. Attach your poem to this page.

Title of Book:___________________________________________________

Author:_______________________________________Genre: __________________________

Go to our Google Classroom. Click the link called, Character Acrostic Poem

Create an acrostic poem for the main character of your book.

Include descriptive phrases and grade appropriate adjectives for each letter of his/her name.

One-word lines are not acceptable. Attach your poem to this page.