Class Read-In

After reading a blog post by Pernille Ripp about adding fun back into our classroom last week, I stopped and asked the class, what are we looking forward to this week? That's when we came up with the Read-In.  

Last Friday, we set aside the entire class period to celebrate reading.  Students brought in blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals, and we read!  We had independent reading, a book sharing time, and we started our new read aloud, Fish in a Tree.

During our sharing time, our school librarian, Mrs. Neal, joined us to eat snacks, give a couple of book talks, and listen to the students swap book recommendations.  Take a look at our festivities below:

Mrs. Neal gives book talks to our class.

Students gather in the classroom library for our new read aloud, Fish in a Tree.

Fish in a Tree

Today, we began our next read aloud, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt.  Hunt wrote One For the Murphy's, one of our all-time favorite books and the book we read for Global Read Aloud.  Fish in a Tree was just released last week, and our entire class was so excited to start it!  Here's the summary of the book from Goodreads:

"The author of the beloved One for the Murphys gives readers an emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who’s ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn’t fit in.
 
'Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid.'
 
Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions.  She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike."

Our Favorite Books So Far

Today, I asked students to write down their favorite book they've read so far in sixth grade. Below, I've included the list we came up with, sorted by genre.  Looking for a good book?  Take a peek!

Realistic Fiction

• If I Stay
• Holes
• See You at Harry's
• One For the Murphy's
• Stargirl
• TFIOs
• Deep, Dark, and Dangerous
• The Cake Pop Crush

Realistic Fiction- Sports

• The Contract
• The Keeper
• Underdogs

Historical Fiction

• The Watson's Go to Birmingham
• The Book Thief
• Lions of Little Rock
• Kite Fighter
• All the Broken Pieces

Fantasy

• Heros of Olympus
• The Serpent's Shadow
• Series of Unfortunate Events
• The Boy on the Porch
• Peter Nimble
• The False Prince
• The Runaway King
• Divergent
• Allegiant
• Four
• The Warlock

Science Fiction/Dystopian

• I am Number Four
• The Hunger Games
• Mocking Jay

Non-Fiction

• Driven
• Bomb

Graphic Novels

• Hugo Cabret
• Cardboard
• Ghostopolis
• Bad Island
• American Born Chinese
• Amulet
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid- Long Haul

War Lords of Japan

We are in the midst of War Lords of Japan: A Simulation of Shogun History of Feudal Japan.  During this simulation, students join one of five Samurai clans.  The clans are competing with the ultimate goal of taking of Japan and becoming Shogun, the ultimate military ruler of Japan. 

In conjunction with our ELA Asia/Pacific Rim Literature Unit, students are studying the socio-political landscape of Feudal Japan.

Before we began the simulation, we talked about the structure of Japanese Feudalism.  As our classroom is usually collaborative and student centered, I wanted to make sure students were prepared for the shift in power structure.  During the simulation, I take on the role of Empress Lau, and students take on the role of Samuri.

Students are arranged into five clans, and it is their job to work together with their clan.  Each day, students are assigned one of the following roles:

• Leader:  The leader organizes the groups and directs the Empress where to move the clan's troops
• Accountant:  The accountant completes the ledger for the day.  The accountant keeps track of  the koku (rice currancy) which is earned and spent and the armies gained and lost.
• Journalist 1: Informs the Empress of the clan's army movements and battle accounts.
• Journalist 2: Informs the Empress of the knowledge earned and the day's fortune.
• Artist: Completes an art project to decorate the classroom. 

Take a look into the classroom below:

Maps of Japan on the back wall.  Each clan is represented by a different color thumb tack.  Each thumb tack represents one army regiment.

Clan leaders gather around Empress Lau (me) to inform the Empress of armies to be bought and troops to be moved.

In province R, Oska and Edo prepare for battle.  Only one army my occupy a province at a time.  

Samurai in their castle groups plot their next moves.  You can see the Japanese artwork hanging from the ceiling.

Artists hard at work on their Japanese Kite Fish

Book Discussion Skype

To wrap up Global Read Aloud, our ELA class 3/4 Skyped with our blogging partners in Ms. Pinnigar's class.  Students skyped in small groups, and took turns asking each other questions about the book One for the Murphy's.

Students worked together to create the questions they wanted to discuss. Here's some highlights of the questions they came up with:

• How did you feel about the ending?
• What do you think would have happened if.....?
• How do you think the story would have been different if Carley had been a boy?
• How do you think Mrs. Murphy feels about Carley's mother?

I was impressed with how deeply the students were thinking about the book.  It was great to see how invested they were in the plot and the characters!

Here's some more photos from the Skype:

The other class had to go a bit early, so we will be finishing up this Skype sometime next week.  A blogging partner Skype for ELA 5/6 will be coming up next week as well!