One of my favorite authors is Patricia Polacco. Her illustrated books have always amazed me with their details and moving illustrations, as well as the deep and realistic characters. I noticed many of her stories have actual people from her own life in them.
While reading her book, Thundercake, I noticed that the culture of her characters are similar book-to-book, and are obviously part of her heritage. This got me curious about Patricia Pollaco. I wanted to know more about her life, where she was from, some of the experiences she had growing up, and so on. So, instead of reading another Patricia Pollaco book, I decided to read about the author. I wanted to know the real stories behind her stories.
Have you ever looked up your favorite author? Have you ever wanted to know more about the stories they write and why they create certain characters and plots? Have you ever wanted to know more about the author's own life?
Look up the author of your book-club book. Search them on Google (you can use SafeSearch) and you will find that he/she most likely has a homepage. Read about the author. Usually they have a bio included. What do you notice about them? What do you find interesting about their life? What about their life makes you better understand the book? Take time exploring your author's website and reading about them. Then comment on the blog about what you found interesting about the author. It can be anything.
This should be a well-written entry, with lots of great thinking. One sentence answers will not be published. Really stretch yourself. Use your best writing.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
"Tagging" the Main Idea
Readers,
Many of you have heard about the unrest in Egypt right now. Perhaps your parents have been watching the news coverage or discussing the problem at home. As a child, you might be confused or unsure what is really happening. When it comes to important issues around the world, especially those in unfamiliar areas, adults can feel the same way as well.
One way we gain information about world events is through reading news articles. Read this article about Egypt. Discuss it with your parents.
We have been working on finding the main idea when we read - or as I call it, "getting the gist." To help us with this, I want us to look at a digital tool called "tagging". When bloggers and other writers submit online articles, they can "tag", or label, the most important words and phrases. This allows people who are searching for specific information to locate their articles easily online. When writers "tag" words in their article, they think of the most important words and phrases, ones that stand out the most, and the words that show what the article is really about. In other words, online writers "tag" their Main Idea words.
What words would YOU tag from the Egypt article? What words stick out as really important? After reading the article, comment here about the words YOU would tag in the article and explain why. I have given you an example.
Many of you have heard about the unrest in Egypt right now. Perhaps your parents have been watching the news coverage or discussing the problem at home. As a child, you might be confused or unsure what is really happening. When it comes to important issues around the world, especially those in unfamiliar areas, adults can feel the same way as well.
One way we gain information about world events is through reading news articles. Read this article about Egypt. Discuss it with your parents.
We have been working on finding the main idea when we read - or as I call it, "getting the gist." To help us with this, I want us to look at a digital tool called "tagging". When bloggers and other writers submit online articles, they can "tag", or label, the most important words and phrases. This allows people who are searching for specific information to locate their articles easily online. When writers "tag" words in their article, they think of the most important words and phrases, ones that stand out the most, and the words that show what the article is really about. In other words, online writers "tag" their Main Idea words.
What words would YOU tag from the Egypt article? What words stick out as really important? After reading the article, comment here about the words YOU would tag in the article and explain why. I have given you an example.
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