Ms. Flagg’s Comments (group member since Sep 10, 2012)

Ms. Flagg’s comments from the What's 811 Reading? group.

What is the most important conflict in your text? Why is it so important? How does it affect your protagonist or the overall plot. REMEMBER TO INCLUDE A QUOTE, PLEASE!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

Discuss a connection you can make with your text, either with yourself, another text, or the world.

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

To what person or group would you recommend your text? Explain your reasoning. Make sure to include a quote!

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

Choose ONE of the following:

1.) What advice is your book trying to give the audience?

2.) What advice would you give your character/narrator?

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

To demonstrate your understanding of central and supporting ideas, please answer the following:

If you had to title or re-title a chapter or section of your text, what would it be? Why?

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

Choose ONE of the following questions. You do not need to include a quote, but all other reading response requirements should be followed. Please consult the checklist below.

1.) How is your text structured? Chapters? Diary entries? By specific subject/topic? Why did the author choose this structure?

2.) Choose a text feature in your text. Why was it included?

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

What have you found most interesting in your text so far? Did you learn something or were surprised by a person's choice or event?

Make sure your topic sentence includes not only the title/author/genre but also the ANSWER to your question.

Topic sentence example: In Walter Dean Myers's memoir Bad Boy, I was most surprised to learn that Walter's father was illiterate.

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

Choose a nonfiction book that is AT LEAST 100 pages.

2 paragraphs:

1.) Do you think reading nonfiction books/articles is important?

2.) Discuss why you chose the book.
+What interests you about the subject?
+What do you expect/hope to learn?

If you had to recommend this book to anyone, who would you recommend it to and why?

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

Choose a character from your text. This may be the protagonist, antagonist, or a secondary character. Identify the character's greatest weakness and discuss how it has impacted his/her life.

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

As we discussed in class, one of the New York state standards is that students are able to identify an important moment in a text and explain its impact on a character or the general storyline/plot. You practiced this with the Arnold cartoon assessment. Now, you will apply it to your independent reading book.

Identify and discuss the most important moment in your text so far. Did the event/incident change or influence your protagonist as a person? Did it change his/her life?

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

Identify an important theme in your book.

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

Reflecting on character is something that all good readers should do throughout their texts. To better understand your protagonist, choose one of the following questions.

1.) Describe an important choice that your protagonist had to make.

2.) What is your protagonist's greatest strength?


Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

Who is your favorite character in your text? This can be the protagonist, antagonist, secondary character, etc. Why does he/she appeal to you?

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

If you had to give a character (protagonist, antagonist, secondary) a piece of advice, what would it be and why?

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about (1-3 sentences)
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea that is properly introduced and punctuated (Arnold states, ".....")?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea (2-4 sentences)?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

In honor of our discussion of literary allusions and making connections, I would like you to describe a connection that you can make with your independent reading book to ONE of the following: 1.) yourself; 2.) another text/film/song/television program/etc; 3.) the world.

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about (1-3 sentences)
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea that is properly introduced and punctuated (Arnold states, ".....")?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea (2-4 sentences)?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

After our conversation about theme (a lesson, moral or message about life that the writer wants to teach his/her reader), you need to determine a theme in your IR book. Make sure to follow the proper reading response format!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about (1-3 sentences)
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea that is properly introduced and punctuated (Arnold states, ".....")?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea (2-4 sentences)?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

In honor of our discussion of making connections with literary allusions and reading poetry, choose a song that you think would fit the "soundtrack" of your book. This song could connect to a character, conflict, or big idea within a text. Make sure to summarize the song or identify the specific lyric that connects and then follow proper reading response format!

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about (1-3 sentences)
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea that is properly introduced and punctuated (Arnold states, ".....")?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea (2-4 sentences)?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

Today, Gordy advised Arnold to celebrate the joys and mysteries in our everyday lives.

Tonight, describe a joy in your character's life. Make sure to follow our specific reading response format!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?

hat advice would you give to your protagonist about a problem he/she is having?

Make sure you follow the reading response checklist:

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide context of what is happening in the text, so my reader understands what I’m talking about?
• Find a direct quote from the text that proves my idea?
• Thoroughly explain the significance of my quote/how it proves my idea?
• Check for correct punctuation and spelling?