5th Grade (6th grade level)
Section Six pgs. 102-124

Discussion Director

The job of discussion director is to develop a list of questions that your group will discuss about this part of the book.  These questions should vary in difficulty and type.  You must include 1 Setting, 1 Cause-effect, 1 Character relationship, 1 Problem-solution, and 1 of your choice.  Use the list of words below to help you begin your questions.

Begin questions with words like:
Who What When Where
Why How Tell Describe

Questions can be about:

 Setting
                        Problem/Solution
 Narrator
                        Topic
 Main idea
                        Cause/Effect
 Mood
                        Character Relationships

Compare/Contrast

EX:  Inference/Conclusion
The last paragraph on page 111 carries over to page 112.  Read it and tell me what you think about the last statement Violet makes?  "It is better to feel sad than feel nothing at all."  Why is this statement important to the reader, and what can the reader learn about Violet from this statement?

EX:  Page 10,4 find 2 similes that describe the dust storms and explain them.

Passage Picker

Passage Picker selects significant passages from the sections being read.  Determine why it is important and call readers’ attention to the passage.  Then lead a discussion about the passage you chose.

Steps of Passage Picker
1. Pick out the passage you would like to share.
2. Write down the page and paragraph number.
3. Write down the first two words and the last two words of your passage.
4. Write down the reason you chose the passage, and explain why!
5. Ask a question about your passage, and give an answer.
6. Write down the Author’s Purpose: To describe
                                                                To Entertain
                                                                 To Inform
                                                                To Persuade
Possible Reasons for Picking a Passage
 
 Important
                    Informative
                                        Interesting
 Surprising
                    Controversial
                                        Descriptive
 Funny/Amusing
                    Scary/Frightening
                                        Historical
 Confusing
                    Entertaining
                                        Persuasive
 Intriguing
                    Dialect
                                        Figurative Language
 Mysterious
                    Fantasy
                                        Alliteration
 Element of Folktales
                    Moral
                                        Theme
 Scientific
                    Fact/Opinion
                                        Cause/Effect
 Problem/Solution
                    5 Themes of Geography
 Math
                    Step by Step
 
 

EX:  Page 105 Paragraph 1
"Almost all . . . of bread."
REASON:  I chose this passage because it tells and describes how the dust affected the animals.
QUESTION:  How did the farmers protect their animals from the dust?
ANSWER:  They put blinders on the horses to protect their eyes and help keep them calm.  They enclose the henhouse as best as possible to keep the wind from blowing away the chickens.
AUTHOR'S PURPOSE:  To describe, to inform
 

Word Wizard

The Word Wizard searches the section of text for words that are key to understanding what is happening in the story.  He/she notes the page and sentence where the word is found.  Then checks the dictionary meaning of the word.  They lead a discussion about the meaning and intent of the word from context and what the word contributes to the import of the passage.

Steps for Word Wizard
    1. Write down the word.
    2. Copy the sentence form the book in which the word appears.
    3. Look up the word in the dictionary.
    4. Using your context clues from the sentence and the dictionary definition, write down in your own words the definition of the word.
    5. Write down the correct part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb).
    6. Write down a question and the answer about the word that would help you to teach the word that makes your group refer
back to the text, OR write a sentence using the word wizard word.
    7. Make your word wizard card.  Be sure to include in big print your word and the page and paragraph number.  On the
other side of your card should be a picture, the word, and the definition of the word.

EX's of Words you can choose from:
huddled pg 10 paragraph 1
archaeology pg 115 paragraph 3
excavating pg 116 paragraph 2
ceremonial pg 117 paragraph 1
scepter pg 117 paragraph 2
inevitably pg 118 paragraph 2
unduly jostled pg 118 paragraph 6
 

Character Sketcher

The job of the character sketcher is to find an interesting character from the section.  You will then find three words that describe the character.  For each word, or character trait, you will give the proof, or example.  Tell why you know this character has this trait.

The next thing you will do is to tell one of your character’s goals, or what the character wants to do in that chapter(s).

Then you will find one of the character’s problems in that chapter(s) and the solution or possible solution to the problem.

Finally, you get to have fun and illustrate your character.  Have fun!

EX:  Your job is to do a character sketch of Mr. Coates.
 

Artful Artist

Draw anything you liked about the story.  Don't tell the group what your drawing is.  Let them guess and talk about it first.  Then, you talk about it.