Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul

Chicken Soupfor the Teenage Soul Stories of Life, Love, and Learning

E.Q.: What inspires me? What is an epigraph? a relevant quotation at the beginning of a book or chapter Read each epigraph. Rewrite it in your own words to demonstrate that you understand the main point. Decide if you agree or disagree with it. Does it inspire you or does it confuse you? Explain. The Introduction “How to Read This Book” jumping around poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction

Vocabulary: Homework Due Friday 10/26 raggedy profession brilliance shadowing consolation astonished content mediocrity vulnerable spontaneous

Written Response Select one quote that inspires you. Write a paragraph explaining what it means to you and why you like it.

E.Q.: How do authors use main ideas and supporting details to develop a story’s theme? Have you ever been disappointed by your birthday? Write a paragraph describing a birthday that was a disappointment. Write another paragraph about a birthday that was fantastic! “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros As you read, think about the theme of the story.

Applying Theme to a Thinking Map Complete a Brace Map that allows you to extract the theme of the story.

Writing Response: “Eleven” Choose two of the response choices below to complete in your sourcebook. Do you agree with Rachel’s idea that, no matter how old we are, we always have all the ages we have been inside of us? Why or why not? If you were Mrs. Price, how would you have handled the situation with Rachel? Why do you think Phyllis Lopez at first didn’t say the sweater was hers? How does Cisneros make us understand how Rachel feels? Give examples from the story of descriptions and language that helped you understand Rachel’s feelings.

Writing Response: “Eleven” Choose one of the response choices below to complete in your sourcebook. If you were Rachel, what would you have done? To answer this, write a dialogue between Rachel and Mrs. Price. Begin your dialogue with: Mrs. Price: Of course the sweater’s yours. I remember you wearing it once. (Continue the dialogue any way you want.) What sense do you have of Rachel from reading this story? Write a description of Rachel – how she looks, what she’s like as a person, what her family is like, what she wants to do in the future – based on the information in the story and your imagination.

E.Q.: How do I select important details from texts to help me compare them? Describe your favorite teacher of all time. Use a Bubble Map Include as many adjectives as you can to describe this teacher.

“Mrs. Virginia DeView, Where are You?” Read this selection on page 157. Compare the teachers in this story and in “Eleven.” Create a Double Bubble Thinking Map to compare the two teachers. Which teacher would you rather have? Why?

Writing Response What are the qualities of an ideal teacher? Describe this teacher. Make sure to be realistic, practical, and logical. Write your response in your sourcebook.

eyes to read and look at the teacher brain for thinking ears to hear heart for caring mouth to share ideas The Perfect Student hands for opening books hands for writing Writing Response What are the qualities of an ideal teacher? Describe this teacher. Make sure to be realistic, practical, and logical. Write your response in your sourcebook. Then draw a diagram of the ideal teacher. Make sure to label the elements. feet for moving toward success

E.Q.: How do I determine the author’s purpose and use that purpose to compare texts? What kind of character are you? Make a list of character traits that would be used to describe you. Write a paragraph describing yourself. “Sparky” page 179 As you read, think about the author’s purpose. What is the author trying to tell us? Write a sentence identifying the author’s purpose. List three (3) details from the story that supports your purpose. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsSXMT0NrB4&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Written Response: Comparing Traits Compare the traits of Sparky with those of Charlie Brown. Read “Zuri at Bat.” How would you compare Charlie Brown and the football to “Zuri at Bat.” Who do you relate to more? Write an argumentative paragraph to support your opinion on the author’s purpose. Write your response in your sourcebook.

Written Response: Comparing Traits Compare the traits of Sparky with those of Charlie Brown. Read “Zuri at Bat.” How would you compare Charlie Brown and the football to “Zuri at Bat.” Who do you relate to more? Write an argumentative paragraph to support your opinion on the author’s purpose. Write your response in your sourcebook. Now create a comic strip for “Zuri at Bat.”

B O N U S E.Q.: How do I craft a personal essay in response to what I have read? Choose any three selections to read on your own. List the titles and page numbers for these selections in your sourcebook. Choose the selection that had the greatest impact on you. How do you relate to this selection? What does this selection mean to you? What does it make you think about? What did you learn? Write a multi-paragraph response in your sourcebook.

E.Q.: How do I use the main idea of the text to form the basis of analysis? Describe a time when you got in trouble or upset your parents or guardian and learned from your mistake? Write about this experience in your sourcebook.

Read these selections. While reading, complete this chart. “Egg Lessons” page 146 “The Cost of Gratefulness” page 150 “Unconditional Mom” page 70

Written Response: Essay Compare the teen protagonists in the three stories. Tell how they are alike and how they are different. Determine which teen learned the most valuable life lesson and which parent did the best job teaching a lesson. (The teen and parent do not have to come from the same story.) Write this essay in your sourcebook. Remember, essays need an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

E.Q.: What are the causes and effects of bullying? How can you prevent bullying? Write an answer in your sourcebook. Focus on actions! Reading Selections “The Gossiper” page 36 “A Simple Christmas Card” page 38

Vocabulary: Homework Due 11-2-12 gossip rumor sage interfered occasional sincerely claim counterpoint coherent transitions

Written Response Write about a time when you or a friend were hurt by gossip or bullying. Make sure to include the outcome; what happened. Write an alternative outcome either positive or negative. What might have happened if the situation would have been handled differently.

Written Response Write about a time when you or a friend were hurt by gossip or bullying. Make sure to include the outcome; what happened. Write an alternative outcome either positive or negative. What might have happened if the situation would have been handled differently. Write a letter to a student who is being bullied. Give advice on how they should handle this. Make suggestions for what they should do. Write these responses in your sourcebook.

E.Q.: How can I read a writing prompt closely to fully understand my topic? Reading Questions How do you feel about this book? Who would you recommend this book to? Who would you say should read this book? How can I organize my ideas before writing? List some choices that you can use for pre-writing. In your sourcebook, list and explain at least three (3) different strategies that you could use for prewriting. Tell which strategy works best for you and why.

Use the RAFT strategy to analyze the assessment prompt.

Does this Chicken Soup truly soothe the soul? • This is to be an argumentative (persuasive) essay. • In the introduction, the claim is made that “This is a book you never finish.” This phrase has two possible meanings. It could mean that you will love the book so much that you will read it over and over again. However, it could also mean that you will hate it so much, you will quit reading it. • Based on what you have read so far, which opinion of the book do you hold? • Use evidence from the book (quotes, summaries of stories, explanations of cartoons, etc.), write an argument to defend your opinion on the book and to convince your audience to love or hate this book. • Make sure to use at least five words from your vocabulary lists in your essay. Analyze the Writing Assessment.

Use a Tree Map to Plan for Writing Your Claim Second Point Third Point Counterpoint First Point Plan the Writing Assessment. Ideas Evidence & Supporting Details Ideas Evidence & Supporting Details Ideas Evidence & Supporting Details Ideas Evidence & Supporting Details • Share your plan with your partner. Give each other feedback.

E.Q.: How can a writing plan make writing a rough draft easier? Parts of an Essay What are the basic parts of an essay? Which part of your writing plan will you use to create which part of your essay? What is a thesis statement? Writing Topic Sentences Each paragraph in an essay needs a topic sentence matched with supporting details.

Don't Touch That Towel! By Shannon C. I think our school would benefit by investing in automatic motion-sensing hand dryers. I have several reasons for this. Children can get sick from the germ-infested paper towel dispensers we now have. There is also terrible waste when students continuously pull the lever, dispensing towels they don't really need. First of all, this automatic hand dryer is very sanitary. Instead of pulling on a lever that has been touched by a large number of students, users can just stick their hands under the blow-dryer. No germs can get on them because there is nothing to touch. In addition, if we buy this automatic hand dryer, we can save the school budget and trees. The money we save by not wasting paper towels can be used for educational things, such as field trips. We could even go to a tree farm and see how many trees we saved. Cutting fewer trees will make a big difference in the environment. If the electricity happens to go out, the hand dryer, like all electric appliances, will go out too. That is ONE bad thing, but we know the lights don't go out that often. We will store extra paper towels in the custodian's room for emergencies. So I think there is much to be said for this automatic motion-sensing hand dryer. Administrators will be glad to know that absenteeism will be lowered. Money can be saved. Finally, if the trees could talk, they would probably shout for joy, knowing that a whole school is saving a forest. Let's install automatic hand dryers at our school as soon as possible.

Writing Time: The Rough Draft • Write your essay one paragraph at a time. • Make sure to follow your writing plan. • Allow your partner to read your paragraphs, compare them to your writing plan, and give you feedback.

E.Q.: How can I use transitions to make my writing more coherent? Transitional Words Using transitional words and phrases helps papers read more smoothly, and at the same time allows the reader to flow more smoothly from one point to the next. Transitions enhance logical organization and understandability and improve the connections between thoughts. They indicate relations, whether within a sentence, paragraph, or paper. Place the word list in your sourcebook and refer to this list as you write your essay.

Writing Time: Revising & Editing Make changes to your rough draft to include transitional words and phrases. Make changes to make sure you have included all the required elements. Use your writing plan as a check-list. Have your partner re-read your essay to give you feedback on the changes you have made.

Editing Check your essay for errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. Final Drafts Make sure to follow the format rules for your final draft. Final Drafts are DUE MONDAY!

E.Q.: How do authors use contradictions in their writing and what does it reveal about their purpose? Family & Home Using your own words, write a definition for each word. Write these entries in your source book.

Vocabulary: Homework Due 11-9-12 hallowed enchanted wretched vengeance pompous linger flounces luminous indignant finale

Pre-Reading Discussion Look at the quote on page 61. Do you agree or disagree? If you had to describe your family as an animal, which one would it be and why? Contradiction Which part of the quote contains a contradiction? Give other examples of situations that you may want to escape from but at the same time you wish to remain in…like family.

“My Childhood Home I See Again” http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/poetry.htm Look for contradictions and annotate this poem. Complete Part I, discuss your annotations with your partner. What contradictions did you find? Now read Part II. Discuss those annotations you made in Part II as well.

Contradictions Sadness & Pleasure Earth & Paradise Vile & Pure Living in the Tombs Written Response What is Lincoln experiencing emotionally? What does he say is more dreadful than death? Is Matthew a contradiction? Write a response explaining how Lincoln personifies death and answer each of these questions.

E.Q.: How do poets use imagery to engage the reader? What is Imagery? Using your own words, write a definition of imagery in your sourcebook.

What is Imagery? Imagery is not only visual images. It incorporates imaginative language that describes all sensory experience including sound, taste, touch, smell, and sight. “My Grandmother is waiting for me to come home.” Before reading... Divide one page of your sourcebook in half. On the left draw a picture or write a description of your grandmother’s house. After reading… On the right, draw a picture or write a description of what you remember from this poem. After receiving the poem, underline the details you remembered, circle the details you forgot.

What examples of imagery do you find in this poem? Create a graphic organizer to show the imagery in the poem. This should be drawn and completed in your sourcebook. Written Response - “Fifth Grade Autobiography” Write a poem that contains detailed imagery describing you and your family or you and your home at an earlier point in your life. Use the themes of home and family. Incorporate the picture you brought of your younger self.

E.Q.: How can different authors offer unique perspectives on the same topic? Family & Home Look back at your first definitions. Rewrite those definitions now that we have read more selections. Traits List Create a chart in your sourcebook with traits down the column on the left and the titles of the four stories across the top. (This will later become a larger chart you will present to the class.) Complete these checklists as you read today.

Traits of Family

Jigsaw Activity Read the story you have been assigned. Complete the chart in your sourcebook. Reading Selections “She Didn’t Give Up On Me” page 63 “Lessons in Baseball” page 89 “The Champ” page 92 “I am Home” page 97

Group Assignments Work with your group to answer the questions about your specific selection. Complete the chart to be presented to the class. Make sure to include vocabulary words from your selection to share with the class. Family Quotes Refine your definition. Create a quote that you will use in our next writing assessment.

E.Q.: How do authors use symbolism to further their arguments? Love & Kindness Look back this epigraph. How do you reflect on this quote now? Write this in your source book. Choice Reading Read one of these stories. “Tigress” page 102 “Bright Heart” page 106

Written Responses Debate: Can animals be family members? How do you reflect on this quote now that you have completed the reading? Write a journal entry that answers this question. To Hug or Not to Hug? In both stories, characters show their kindness and love by offering a hug to a virtual stranger. Are there times when hugs are and are not appropriate? Why are hugs so powerful? Write a journal entry about a time when you needed, received, or gave a hug that either comforted you or someone else.

E.Q.: How can paying close attention to details such as dialect help you uncover the author’s purpose? Dialect List Make a list of words or phrases that are examples of dialect. Remember, dialect is a regional variety of language distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation from other regional varieties and constituting together with them a single language.

Vocabulary: Homework Due 11-16-12 suede frail ominous discrimination astounded bigotry resolve egregious prejudice prestigious

“Thank You, Ma’m” by Langston Hughes Draw this dialect chart in your source book. As you read today, write examples of dialect that you notice in the story.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul