5th grade (6th grade level)
section five:  (pgs. 86-101)

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

MCEOG Question
1. In the first paragraph on page 88, Annie talks about the kind of smarts needed to make it in the Pan Handle.  Which of the following is a description of the smarts she is talking about?
    a.  farming, hiding from the dust, milking cows, churning butter,
    b.  people/social smarts
    c.  street smarts
    d.  common sense

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
 

EX:  Pages 98-101
REASON:  I chose this passage because we read Violet's words about what is happening to her family.
QUESTION:  How does Violet feel about California now?
ANSWER:  Violet is finding out how California really is.  The promises that were made were not fulfilled and there were too many people trying to move there so that there were no more jobs.
AUTHOR'S PURPOSE:  To describe
 

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.

Examples of words you may look for:
 
 Compound
                            Word Families
 Contractions
                            Capital Letters
 Punctuation
                            Letter hunt:  lower case
 New Strange
                                              upper case
 Hard
                            Describing
 Short Vowels/Long Vowels
                            Funny
 Important
                            Bold
 Synonyms/Antonyms
                            Quotes
 Possessives
                            Italics
 

Words to choose from for this section:
 vestal virgins  pg 86 paragraph 1
 gesticulate pg 87 paragraph 3
 decipher  pg 89 paragraph 1
 linger  pg 96 paragraph 3
 

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!

It is your job to choose a character you would like to tell the group about.  Remember to follow directions and include all steps.  The character you choose can come from any section of the book.
 

travel tracer

When you are reading a book where characters move around a lot and the scene changes, it is important for everyone in your
group to know where things are happening and how the setting may have changed.  So that's your job:  to track carefully where
the action takes place during today's reading.  Describe each setting in detail.  Be sure to give the page locations where the
scene is described.

It is your job to trace or draw Violet's family's journey thus far be sure to include all places.