Self-Directed Book Study

You may choose any book from our classroom library or a different one that interests you. You will be given time to read in class each day and to do some book response assignments.

By the final day of class you must have done 2 of the options below and have them posted to your blog.

1. Write a letter to the main character and the character's reply.
    
2. Write a different ending for the book.
    
3. Pretend you are a talk show host and interview the main character.
    
4. Create a travel brochure for the setting of the story or scrapbook pages about key characters.
    
5. Create a book jacket, including illustrations, an enticing synopsis, author bio, and favorable reviews.
    
6. Summarize the book into a comic or story aimed for younger students or your classmates.
    
7. Write a news article about an important event from the book.
    
8. Write about the decisions you would make if you were the main character in the book.
    
9. Dramatize a scene from the story with other students or using puppets.
    
10. Post a book review on Share What You're Reading.
     
11. Chose two characters from the story and write a conversation they might have.
     
12. Write a letter or email to a close friend recommending the book you have just read.
     
13. Make a list of new, unusual, or interesting words or phrases found in your book.
     
14. Prepare a television commercial about your book. Act out the commercial for your classmates.
     
15. Write ten chat room-style questions that could be used to start an online discussion about the book. Or, write ten questions that test other students' understanding of the story. (Make sure you provide a list of answers.)
     
16. Explain why you think this book will or will not be read 100 years from now. Support your opinion by stating specific events in the story.
     
17. Discuss one particular episode in the story that you remember most. Describe why you think it remains so clear to you.
     
18. Write a letter/email to the author of your book. Address it to the publisher and mail it. Or, see if the author has a Web site and email it.
     
19. Write a ballad or song about the characters and events in your story. Set the words to the music of a popular song and sing it to the class.
     
20. Give a dramatic reading of a scene in the book to your classmates.
     
21. Describe in detail three characters from the story. List reasons why you would or wouldn't want to get to know these people.
     
22. Design a poster or new book cover depicting the climax of the story.
     
23. Write an acrostic poem about the book using the letters in the title of the book or the name of a character or author.
     
24. Draw a classroom mural depicting a major scene(s) from the book.
     
25. After reading an informational book, make a scrapbook about the topics.

EI Se Eu Te Pego

Lais teaches us a popular Brazilian dance!

Tigers and Goats - Bagchal

Bidya teaches our EAL class how to play a Nepalese strategy game called Tigers and Goats (Bagchal). You can also play the game online at the link below:

http://www.freeonlinepcgames.net/play/tigers-and-goats-you-can-choose-to-lead-tigers-or/flash-game/

Or  Here

http://www.fupa.com/play/Action-free-games/goats-against-tigers.html

My Country, My Culture

Your assignment is to prepare a presentation of no less than 10 minutes to introduce the class to your country of origin and your culture. You should include things like:

- Geographic and Topographic features
- Population and cultural make-up
- Dominant religions and practices
- Foods and Traditions
- Political beliefs and practices
- Language Samples
- Little known facts about your culture or country

Plan for sharing information, but also plan an activity to engage your classmates in your culture.

If you have questions, Mr. Lister has answers...

Time

Thank you Lais for teaching our class on the topic of Time. My homework is below:

After having a chance to speak with my partner (Eric) about what my dreams were when I was a child, I now find myself faced with the challenge of thinking about my future. When I was younger I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted this because I wanted to help people when they needed it. Now that I think about my future, I realize that what we want out of life changes as time passes.

When I imagine where I will be 20 years from now, I see myself as the principal of a school. My two sons will be grown and attending university or college and my wife and I will be close to retirement. We will travel the world each summer together and see one continent at a time. The dreams that I hope to realize before I die are:

1) To help raise funds to find a cure for diabetes.
2) To have grand children
3) To retire from work early enough to enjoy free time with my wife and kids
4) To earn a PHd in education
5) To run a full marathon in an exotic location

Fate... Destiny

The movie we watched in class today (Slumdog Millionaire) begins with a million-dollar question where one of the answers is "It is written". The theme of this movie is fate or destiny.

Fate - The development of events outside a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.

Destiny - Events that will happen to a particular person or thing in the future

Please create a two part answer:


1) Explain how this theme appears throughout the movie.


2) Explain if you believe in destiny or fate. Why or why not?

Music In My Language

Thank you Mr. Pereira for teaching us about music and for giving us a wonderful lesson on the true meaning of music lyrics. I really enjoyed the activities you planned and I like that there is choice in the homework assignment.
For my song I chose a song by my favourite musician Joe Bonamassa. He is a rock & blues artist and is one of the most skilled guitar players in the world.

This song is about a relationship gone wrong. A man who has given everything he has to a woman and then discovers that she is cheating on him with another man. He struggles with this because he still loves her so he can't leave her and it's tearing him apart. I think his voice and the way the music is played really makes you feel the pain in this man's heart.


Stop! - By Joe Bonamassa

All that i have , is all that you've given meDid you never worry , that i'd come to depend on youI gave you all my love , that i had in meNow that i've found you lied , i can't believe it's true
Wrapped in his arms , i see you across the streetI can't help but wonder , if he knows what's going onYou talk about that love , but you don't know how it feelsWhen you realise , that you're not the only one
You'd better Stop , before you tear me all apartYou'd better Stop , before you go and a break my heartOh whoa , you'd better Stop ...
Time after Time , i've tried to walk awayBut it's not that easy , when your soul is torn in two
So i resign myself , to it every dayNow all i can do , is leave it up to you
You'd better Stop , before you tear me all apartYou'd better Stop , before you go and a break my heartOh whoa , you'd better stop
You better Stop if you love meOh it's time to be sorryNo it won't last foreverI can't believe you walked out on me
You'd better Stop , before you tear me all apartYou'd better Stop , before you break my lonely heartWhoa whoa you better , whoa whoaWhoa oh you better StopBetter Stop

Dancing Papa Lalo

Answer the two questions by providing evidence and details from the story.

1) When Harry finds Papa Lalo dead in his chair, how is his reaction different from the first time when Papa Lalo was just asleep? What does this tell us about how their relationship has changed?

2) What do you think was Harry's reason for burning Papa Lalo's suit?

What is Love?

Write a blog post that describes your understanding of love. You can say anything you want, but you must include at least 10 of the words below in your post.

Please highlight the words you have used in red.




Love
heart
feeling
high
low
avoid
sorry
together
apart
pain
St. Valentine's Day
sight
happiness
relationship
gifts
need
attraction
sick

When you are finished, you must read your classmates postings and reply to at least 2 of them.

Just Like Family

In the story "The Other Son" author David Rice introduced us to a Mexican American family who had a live-in maid named Catalina. Throughout the story we saw many examples of how Catalina was more than just a maid. She considered them family and they did the same.

You have your choice of two writing assignments for this blog posting:

1) Describe somebody in your life that you would describe as an aunt, uncle or cousin who really is not. Explain why you consider them to be family.


2) Describe details from the story that show us evidence that Catalina and the family consider her to be part of the family.

The Shrine of Don Pedrito Jaramillo

"Sugar Cane Fire" - I Am Poetry

Now that we've read "Sugar Cane Fire" by David Rice, I'd like you to pretend that you are one of the characters from the story and write a poem using the site below.

You could decide to be Romero, Veronica or Annette.

http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/iampoem.htm

When you have finished, copy and paste the poem into a blog posting. Then, I would like you to read your classmates poems and leave a comment for at least three classmates.

Facing Adversity

The movie Glory Road that we watched in class is all about facing adversity.


 Definition: Adversity - Difficulties, Misfortune, Distress, Disaster, hardship.


 Have you ever faced adversity in life?

Discussion
Think of a situation that you have been in where you were faced with a very challenging task. Discuss this with a partner. Tell them the whole story (beginning, middle and end).

Writing
 After you've shared your stories with a partner, write the story for me in a blog post. The more details you include the better I will understand your story.

What Is Your Favourite Recipe?

We spoke yesterday about how sometimes when we eat too much we feel guilty. This can also be called gluttony.

Definition: Gluttony - to make a habit of eating or drinking in excessive amounts.

Alternate Use: "He is a glutton for punishment".




I believe that the reason we eat too much is that we love what we are eating. What is your favourite food to eat?

New Blog Post

I would like you to share the steps that you would follow to make this food. When you put the steps in order so that someone can follow them to make the meal the steps are called a recipe.

Definition: Recipe - A set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required.

Alternate Use: "This is a recipe for disaster"

Please do not copy a recipe from the Internet... I would like this written in your own words in complete sentences.

Please include pictures and/or video can help us to understand what the finished product should look like.

Who Inspires You?

Inspire - Definition - The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, esp. to do something creative:

In life, we all wish to be better people somehow. Often we will meet people who are a good example of what we wish to be like. These people inspire us to be better.

Someone who inspires me is Terry Fox:

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFQHJCEpnsY

Reading & Questions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZW7joOVDrc4IzPH1yEKiQH7KrTJSM-1W1zq5IYAyxPc/edit?usp=sharing

Writing: Who inspires you? How do they inspire you? Why do they inspire you? 

Include links to pictures, video or other Internet artifacts if possible. You may also upload pictures to your posting if you like.