Year 8 Library Program- Teachers Guide

Year 8 Library Program- Teachers’ Guide

This unit has been taken from a variety of sources: Marg’s Book Binge idea, Michael’s Reading Tasks, Warren’s Reading program and some ideas from old files with no source attributable (if you know where they’re from please let me know so I can acknowledge)! Some ideas I even came up with myself!

Overarching Aims:  to foster independent reading  to provide students with a range of texts from around the world and build an understanding of different cultures and ways of life

Organisation:  Every Year 8 class has an allocated library session for one hour every two week cycle. This will take place in the library or the attached classroom.  Some of these classes will be taken by another English teacher, for all intents and purposes, this is a separate program that can be administered and monitored by the teacher in charge, be they the class’ English teacher or not.  The assessment for this unit will be formative, but there is an expectation that students read a certain number of texts and that teachers monitor student reading, help students set reading targets and provide 1:1 feedback on student reading. Each student should have at least 1 meeting with the teacher per term, and their reading logs should be checked regularly. Please provide meaningful comments on the reading journals to help students set targets and acknowledge their reading.  Every 4-5 lessons, allow the students to share their reading through informal presentations on texts, or small group discussions. Choose the most appropriate format for your class. You could arrange students into groups according to their ‘continents’ or level of difficulty.

If you are studying a novel with the class, feel free to use the library time to complete some of the reading/ activities your want to cover, although you do not need to do this. Please let the library teacher know in advance if you choose this option.

Classroom teachers will be asked to provide 15 minutes of silent reading time per lesson to help with the program.

Year 8 Library Program

Student guide Rationale This year you will continue your Wide Reading programme in which you will be challenged to read new fiction. You are required to read as widely as you can for a number of reasons: it is important for your own development; it has real benefits in IGCSE and IB; entertainment; you get to experience the real language experts in action; and you can learn more about ideas, language use, your world and yourself.

Wide Reading Time Your class will visit the Library for approximately 1 hour per 2 week cycle. You should choose novels that you believe you will enjoy, but ones that will extend your reading ability and experience. This program is designed to help you do this and to allow you opportunities to engage with your reading both critically and creatively. We also hope it will allow you to share your reading experiences with others in your class.

While this reading program will help support your development in reading and English it is not linked directly into the English curriculum, providing you with the flexibility to pursue your own reading interests and to proceed at your own pace. It is also expected that many of you will have a teacher guiding you in this program who is not your usual class teacher. This is another reason why this program ‘stands alone’.

During the first lesson, you will be expected to choose a novel for use in the library session, and your teacher may be able to help you with your first choice. Beyond this, the time given is for reading and for engaging in the activities and conferencing with your library teacher. It will not be for ‘choosing’ texts. It will be expected that you come to each class and library lesson with a novel that you are reading. Your class teacher will allow you 15 minutes per lesson to read as well. Nevertheless, you will need to create time to read beyond these sessions. This can be before you go to bed, travelling on the bus from school: whatever time suits you. Year 8 Reading Focus: Exploring Genres The aim of reading across several new genres is to broaden your experience of reading and to prepare you for the IGCSE and IB courses where you will read texts from a range of different genres, cultures and time periods.

You must pick texts to read from this list of genres. Over the year you should aim to read one book from each genre.

Genres: Science Fiction Fantasy Detective/ Mystery Western/ Historical Romance Sport Travelogue/ Travel Writing Horror/ Thriller Adventure

The Creative tasks At some point during the reading of your current novel you will choose an activity from the creative tasks near the end of the booklet.

The Critical tasks- a reading journal

As part of your English course of study, we aim to promote opportunities and activities that will allow students to develop the IB Learner Profile skills below:

 Independent enquirers  Creative and critical thinkers  Reflective learners  Team workers, effective participators  Self-managers, independent learners  Risk takers  Communicators  Knowledgeable The reading log, and subsequent discussions about your reading, will allow you to develop these skills.

The reading log should be written in at least every library lesson. Give yourself 20 or so minutes at the end of each session (longer if necessary) to record your thoughts of your reading.

A reading log should:

 Encompass your ideas about your reading: the author’s intent, the plot direction and development, characterisation, use of language and setting  Evaluate the text giving reasons for your opinions  Pose essential questions that you have about the text that may later be answered through your reading.  Small excerpts of creative / empathic writing stimulated by your reading.  Show an appreciation of the historical/ social/ cultural setting of the text.

A reading should not:

 Just be a retelling of the plotline of the text  Written only in bullet points or fragmented prose

There is a sample of what a reading journal page might look like near the end of the booklet.

Option:

At times your teachers may wish for you to discuss your reading in small groups, or to the whole class instead of writing in your journal. The skills you will need for this will be the same as for your reading journal. In fact, you may be able to use entries about the book you are reading to help you in your discussion.

You may discuss:

 the development of the major character  evaluating why you like/ dislike the book and why  who you like this book best suits and why  the quality of the writing/ style / pace of the book  the most gripping part of the book Conferencing with your teacher At least once per term you will meet individually with your ‘library’ teacher to discuss your reading progress. They will want to see your reading logs. In the first few sessions in the library your teacher will ask you to set some reading targets- you will also need to bring these and some evidence that you have achieved these targets.

Activities for the first few lessons Before you start you should create a ‘library folder’ entitled: English Library Program. This can be hard or soft copy and the folder (with all work in it) should be accessible to you and your teacher each Library lesson.

Activities 1-6 could make up lesson one, with activities 7-9 making up lesson two. Beyond this, students should be engaged in reading, writing their creative/ critical responses, discussing their reading and/ or conferencing with their teacher.

Activity 1: You should read through this program with your teacher, so you fully understand what you are being asked to do and why.

Activity 2: Next, you should complete a reading profile and put into your folder. My reading profile 1. What are the last 3 books I read? Activity 3: 2. Genres that I read the most: (circle) Spend some time exploring and sharing your Adventure Mystery/ Detective experiences and the concept of genres: Non-fiction Sci-Fi  What different genres are there? Ghost/ Gothic Friendship/ relationship  What genres do we read? Fantasy Sport  Why are some genres more popular Western/ Historical than others? This can be done in small 3. What is it about these stories that I like the groups or a whole class best? discussion. 4. Which genres would I be interested in reading, if I had to branch out and read different genres? Activity 4: Individually, rating the genres that you read and planning which genres you will explore first.

Activity 5: Revisit the useful resource Novellist which will help you select texts by providing novel blurbs, reviews, level of difficulty of the novel, pages and its genre.

Activity 6: For the end of the lesson, select a book, or if time is short, organise that you will have a novel for the next English lesson to read.

Activity 7: Create your first targets for your reading, using the target sheet near the end of the booklet as a model. Be sure to have these checked by your teacher in this lesson or the next. They will want to see your reading profile.

Activity 8: You should spend some time reading/ reviewing the ‘Critical tasks’ section and the Reading log as you will start your Reading Journal today.

Activity 9: Creative a reading journal page and with 20 minutes to go, write your first entry! Creative tasks: Wider Reading

In your library folder write about each book you read this year. Use the following topics although you should use each only once.

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1. Reporting “Live” from the Scene You are a news reporter and are present at one of the major events in the book. Write the script of the presentation you will give in your report to be telecast on national TV.

2. Mapping a Book Create a map highlighting places described in the story. Many of the map’s features should be based on information provided by the book’s author. The map might show the immediate neighborhood or community in which the book takes place; if the author offers ample description of the home or another place as the central setting for the book, then the maps might detail that place.

3. Character Trait Diagram. Create a Venn diagram with bullet points to illustrate similarities and differences in the traits of two of the main characters in a book just completed. Under the Venn Diagram write a full paragraph to explain the similarities and differences giving examples of what the characters say and do in the book to support your points.

4. Write a Letter to the Author. After reading the book, share your reactions to the book in a letter written to its author. Ask them about why he created the characters in such a way, why the book ended as it did, any unanswered questions and so on.

5. Sell It! Pretend you are a publicist for the book that you’ve read. Write a speech that will persuade other students that they should read the book.

6. Interview a Character. Write the script of an interview with a main character. Ask 10 really important questions and give the answers for the character being interviewed. The questions and answers should provide information that shows that you have read the book without giving away the most significant details. 7. Script It! Write a movie script for a favorite scene in a book just read. At the top of the script, assign real-life TV or movie stars to play each role. Use a story board approach (draw pictures of each “shot” and give the dialogue. At the bottom of the page write a paragraph to explain fully why the scene is important to the book as a whole and why it would make a great scene for a movie.

8. Create a Comic Book. Turn a book, or part of it, into a comic book, complete with comic-style illustrations and dialogue bubbles.

9. Resume Writing. Select a main character in the book. Imagine the character is going to apply for a new job. Create a resume for the character that he will send to his or her prospective employer. Include in the resume a statement of the applicant's goals and a detailed account of his or her experience and outside interests. Write a paragraph from the character’s point of view stating why he or she wants the job.

10. Character Trait Chart. Creates a chart with three columns. Each column is headed with the name of one of the book's characters. As you read the book, keep a record of the traits each character possesses and include an incident that supports each trait.

11. Setting Research. Identify the main setting of the book. Look up the setting (place) on the internet by doing a search. Write down 10 things about the place from the website. Find things in the book to show how five of these things are brought to life in the book.

12. "Dear Diary." Create a diary or journal and write at least five (paragraph) entries that might have been written by a main character in the book.

13. Character to character letter You are a character in the book, write a letter (or an email if it is a modern setting) to another character in the book. The letter should contain details that prove you have read the book.

14. Plot Chain Draw a plot chain of the main events in the story. (should be at least 10 distinct “events”). At each point in the chain draw the image of one important object to that scene, or even a simple drawing of the main event itself. Under each link write a brief summary of what happens in this section or “link”.

15. Character Time Line Make a time line (diagram) in the events of the life of the main character, paying particular attention to what he/she does and with whom he/she interacts. Then choose THE most important event in the character’s life and write a full paragraph to explain why this is the most important event in terms of the effect on the character. 16. Neighbourhood Comparison Compare where you live with one main setting in the book. This can be done in table form as a straight out comparison. Focus on things like shops, parks, type of housing, recreational facilities, weekend activities, type of school, neighbours and so on. Then write a paragraph to state what sort of things you do in the book’s setting if you were a character in the book.

17. A Character as a Tourist in Hong Kong The main character comes to Hong Kong for a holiday. Your task is to show him/her around for a week. Write an email to the main character who is arriving next month, explaining where you will take him/her. You must take him/her to places they will enjoy because of something they have said or done in the book. Select 5 places and go into detail. Do not just choose places because they are good tourist spots. Tell the character why you are taking him/her to that place according to their interests, knowledge or habits.

18. The past You are the narrator of the book. Tell what happened before the story began. (200 word minimum)

19. Comparison Compare your book with another book you have read or a film you have seen. (200 words)

20. Wedding Speech A character in the book gets married. Your task is to write a wedding speech about them. You can do this from the point of view of a close friend or a family member. Include some incidents from the character’s life, and talk about the person they are marrying and why it is so wonderful. (200 words minimum)

21. Making the Movie of the Book Your task is to make the movie of this book. Explain why will make the book into a movie and show, with reference to one major scene, how you will film it to bring out the main character or issue. (Focus on the visual images you will use) Do not choose a book that has already been made into a movie.

22. Movie Comparison If your book has already been made into a movie, compare the film to the book. You could comment on any changes, the acting, the impact of the beginning and ending, costumes, setting, any use of music, sound effects or special effects.

23. A New Ending Your task is to write a new ending for the book. Do this task, then write a short paragraph to explain why you changed the ending.

24. Incident Re-write Select the most important incident in the book. Think about who the narrator is, then re-write the scene from the point of view of another character. (200 words minimum). READING JOURNAL

Here is a sample page of what your reading journal might look like. Each entry might encompass a few pages/ chapters and would take up one page.

Characters: List with a brief account of their role Themes: What messages are revealed?

Plot: What events occur in this section?

Style: Questions/comments: What style of writing is What further questions need to be used in the section? Consider: asked? language, structure, mood, pace. What have you noticed that is unusual/ interesting? Target setting help sheet:

You will need to keep a record of your reading targets. You may feel like starting off with basic targets and then progressing up to more challenging targets:

 Be able to write a personal response to the book which shows familiarity when commenting on key ideas, themes, events and characters.

 Be able to make inferences and deductions and identify some features of language and structure.

 Be able to make personal and critical responses to the book which show insight into the ways in which meaning is conveyed. Refer to aspects of language, structure and themes to support their views.

 Be able to show originality your analysis and interpretation when evaluating the book.

 Be able to explore and evaluate alternative and original interpretations of the book.

 Be able to developing ideas with reference to structure.

 Be able to make subtle and discriminating comparisons, where appropriate, within and between books.

Remember, that you need to be able to prove that you have achieved your target. This could be done by either by your reading journal or through discussions in small groups that your teacher listens to, or in an individual discussion/ conference with your teacher. Target setting sheet

Date Target Evidence of meeting Teacher comment target