Realistic Fiction Novel Study

For our second novel study of the year, we will be focusing on realistic fiction. In this novel study we will be looking at a few key elements. Summaries, comparing and contrasting, cause and effect, theme, and some use of adjectives and punctuation. You can view expectations, our rubric, and learning targets below.

Criteria Sheet

Rubric

Learning Targets

In class I have been, and will continue to, model all elements of our novel study with our class read aloud, Maniac Magee. We have been focusing on summary so far. We have also introduced using adjectives to describe characters, and punctuation and why they author chose to use it. 

Summaries

In class we have been writing summaries for each chapter of Maniac Magee. Each chapter a different student will type and the rest of the class will help explain the most important elements of the chapter. I introduced this graphic organizer to help students ask themselves questions each chapter. 

This allows students to organize their thoughts about a chapter. They do not need to fill this our every chapter. It is just a way for students to ask different questions about the chapter and also sequence the chapter. 

Here is our class summaries for the book Maniac Magee.

Summaries

Adjectives

We are also looking at the use of adjectives to describe characters. We want to improve our adjective vocabulary. Rather than describing a character as mean, we want to upgrade our vocabulary to words such as, evil, harsh, hateful, etc. Here is the graphic organizer we are using in class to upgrade our adjectives.

We have been modeling this in class as well. Our class example of adjectives to describe characters is right here:

Adjectives

Punctuation

The third piece of our novel study is looking at the use of punctuation by the author. Students will identify 8 different types of punctuation used by the author and explain why the author used that form of punctuation in that situations.

In class we have an anchor chart that shows 8 different kinds of punctuation and some examples from out book, Maniac Magee. 

In class, as we do dour read aloud, we have been documenting some different types of punctuation used in our class book. This example can be found here:

Punctuation

Cause and Effect

The fourth piece of our novel study is looking at cause and effect in our novels. Effect is what is happened in the novel. Cause is why did it happen. When I introduced students to the idea of cause and effect, I told them that it is much easier to think about it like effect and cause. When you write down the effect first, it makes it much easier to find the cause. It's all about what happened and why.

Here is the anchor chart in our classroom. 

Cause and effect are not just singular events. One effect can have one cause, but there are different versions as well. One effect can have many causes, but also, many effects can have one singular cause. 

For our novel study in class, we have been documenting and discussing cause and effect for our novel, Maniac Magee. Here is the link to our class book graphic organizer.

Cause and Effect

Gummy Bear Science

Our next unit we are covering in class is science. We are preparing for the science fair which is April 23rd. As a result I will be modeling one science experiment and one engineering experiment in class. We started with science it revolved around gummy bears. The first day we introduced the scientific method and all the various steps in it. 

The first day, I introduced to students the we will be doing our experiment around gummy bears. Their homework the first night was to do some background research on gummy bears. I provided them with links and also useful search terms. The next day we came back and shared what we found out. We recorded any vocabulary in the vocabulary graphic organizer. Any background research we found we also recorded.

Forming a Question and Hypothesis

Vocabulary: Write a definition and draw pictures for vocabulary Osmosis: a process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one, thus equalizing the concentrations on each side of the membrane. Porous- having multiple spaces or holes through which liquid or air may pass.

1. Background Information- List what you know about

the topic:

Gummies coated in mineral oil. Ingredients in a gummy bear: Sugar, glucose, starch, flavoring, Gelatin (Cartilage and joints). Gummies absorb water using osmosis

Once we established what we know, I introduced the idea of variables. I asked groups to work together to brainstorm something we could change to test these gummy bears. Students came up with the idea of placing gummy bears in various liquids and then testing to see which liquid makes the gummy bears grow the most. We established our question, materials, and hypothesis.

2. Inquiry Question-

(How will changing_______ affect______?)

What liquid will make a gummy bear grow the most?

3. Hypothesis-

(I predict___________ because__________.)

I predict that water will make the gummy bear grow the most because there is no sugar or salt to block up the small holes in the gummy bear and not allow water to enter the gummy bear through osmosis.

4. Materials

300 ml Water 24 Gummy Bears (same color) 30 Cups 300 ml Lemon Juice 300 ml Red Bull 300 ml Vinegar 300 ml Syrup 300 ml Coke 300 ml Orange Juice 6 spoonfuls of salt

The next day, with materials in hand we measured our initial lengths and weights. Because we are looking for the most growth, we would test the change in weight and length, which means we would subtract the initial weight and length from the final weight and length. So the first day we did just that, we measured and then wrote out procedure for the day.

5. Procedure

Measure the length of each gummy bear. Measure as accurately as possible. Record results in table under “initial length.” Weigh each gummy bear. Measure as accurately as possible. Record results in table under “initial weight.” Pour 100 ml of water into an empty cup. Place one gummy bear into each of the three cups. Let the gummy bears sit for 24 hours After 24 hours, remove the gummy bears from their cups Immediately measure and weigh the gummy bears Record results under, “after weight” and “after length” Calculate the change in weight and change in length and record those calculations in the “change in length” and “change in weight.” Repeat these steps for all other liquids.

The following day, after allowing the gummy bears to soak for 24 hours, we pulled them out and measured our after soaking measurements. We also created a table and recorded our results in said table.

The next thing I did is show students how to make a bar graph of the results in Google Spreadsheet. All you need to do is create a small table with just the results you want o graph. In this case, it would be just the liquids and the amount of weight it grew and the amount of length it grew.

  

Then you highlight all of these rows and columns and then go to "insert"-----"chart". Then you can modify it from there. I selected a column bar graph. I changed the title and anything else I needed.

Finally after we have all our results graphed and organized, we can draw some conclusions from our data. 

Data Analyzing and Interpreting Results

1. Was your hypothesis supported? Tell how you

know.

Our hypothesis was partially supported. Water did make the gummy bear grow the most in terms of length, however, coke made the gummy bears grow the most in terms of weight. I know this because water had an increase in length of 1.46 cm. The next highest increase in length was coke, lemon juice, and vinegar with a 1 cm increase. Coke had an increase in weight of 7 grams while water only increased the weight by 5.67 grams.

2. Results- Share observations supported with data

and vocabulary.

The solution that caused the Gummis to grow the most was water and coke.. The coke Gummi grew from 2 g to 9 g. The length increased of water was from 2.07 cm to 3.53 cm.. The solution that caused the least growth was the syrup. It grew from 2 g to 3 g. The length actually shrunk. The initial length was 1.96 cm and the final length was 1.6 cm.

3. Conclusion- Tell what your experiment proved

Based on our results we think water and coke worked the best for two reasons. First, because we let the solution sit for 24 hours and the water solution didn’t break down the gummy bear like many more acidic liquids.. Secondly, perhaps the carbonation in the coke allowed for more coke to be absorbed into the gummy bear.

4. Application- What is another experiment you

could do on this topic?

Another experiment we could do is try other liquids. Maybe categorize them into acidic and non-acidic. We could also leave the gummy bears soaking for more or less time.

Novel Study- The Cay

In addition to our explorers project, students have been engaged in a novel study using The Cay. This is a survival story about a young boy and old man in a struggle for survival after their ship is destroyed by a submarine. Both characters must work together and overcome their differences to survive on the small cay.

Full Novel Study Requirements

Learning Targets

Rubric

Students have been analyzing various aspects of the book including:

• PREDICTIONS

Prediction Anchor Chart

• GRAMMAR & CONVENTIONS
• Progressive Verb Tenses

Progressive Verb Anchor Chart

•  Prepositions

Prepositions Anchor Chart

• Commas

Comma Anchor Chart

• Quotation Marks-Quoting material from the text

Quotation Mark Anchor Chart

• Plot Map

Plot Map Anchor Chart

• Setting Map
• Setting Map Notes

• Character Map
• Do-Say-Think-Feel Character Tracking
• Vocabulary Word Maps
• Students identify words that they either do not know or they think are interesting
• For each work students find
• The Definition
• Part of Speech
• Synonyms and Antonyms
• Any other forms of the word
• The sentence from the book
• A sentence they make up using the word
• A picture or sketch
• THEME



Theme Examples

• Good Theme Example Video

• LITERARY CRITICISM
• Explain the theme of the novel
• Opinion of the author's purpose for writing the novel
• Opinion of the novel itself

Students have been working hard and our final posters will be due on February 13th.

Explorer Project

Students were tasked with choosing an explorer that they wanted to learn about in depth. Students have been working for the past few weeks on researching their explorer.

Here are the guidelines for the project

Here are the learning targets and rubric for the project

Elements of the project include:

• Diary entries from the perspective of their explorer
• Example of a timeline and diary entry I wrote up. 
• Students will use their timelines to help with events. 
• Students write from the perspective of their explorer.

• The research of a constellation and how the stars were used by explorers

Example of a constellation write up.

• A map of the route the explorer took
• Explorer Poems
• Model of Explorer (done at home)

Example of a completed explorer model

Example of a completed explorer model

• An artifact that the explorer would have taken on their exploration

I created an example model of my artifact.

Example description of my artifact.

• The explorer's interactions with native people

Mr. Roshak's Example of a Venn Diagram comparing my explorer to the people they encountered.

• Timeline of key events in the explorer's life
• Example timeline
• Drawing or model of the transportation the explorer used to travel

Students will be completing the project this week and next, it will be due on February 13th.