New Books for Social Studies Unit on American Indians

Hello Munchkins!

Many of you have chosen your book to read for our study of American Indians in social studies.  Share with us a bit about your book.  It may be what tribe or tribes the book is about, what area of the country, a bit about the plot, main character etc.  Maybe you will share some questions you have already, or what you are looking forward to.  You could also share why you chose that particular book.
If you have not chosen your book, check out what your classmates have chosen and write about your reaction to their description.  Maybe you will get an idea for what you would like to read!
I look forward to hearing about your books......
Happy Reading and Blogging,
Mrs. S

Book Talk- Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

Kira-Kira means glittering/shining in Japanese.  This book is about two sisters that love each other very much and their family.  Katie is Japanese along with the rest of her fmaily.  Katie is a little girl who depends on her sister Lynn very much.  If Lynn says "When you get oler you will need to go to college so you need to get your grades up so you will get a scholarship", then Katie would get good grades.  But when lynn gets extrememly ill, the whole family starts to fall apart.  Their mom becomes pregnant and their dad looses his job.   Lynn then starts to do everything she can to help the family.  Lynn can not go to school because she is so tired and Katie is failing school.  Will Lynn get better so she can help her fmaily remember that there is always something glittering and shining( Kira-kira)?  This book is a novel.  I promise that you will love this book.  It is an unforgettable story.  I have never read a book like it.

By Julia

Any thoughts, comments...............let Julia know what you think!

chapter 12, Three Cups of Tea

Chapter 12 is titled "Haji Ali's Lesson".  Why do you think Greg chose to name the chapter that?



When Greg arrives at the village, he find the women of Korphe traveling over the bridge....where were they going?  How does the bridge effect their lives in a different way than the men's?

How would you describe the people of Korphe?  In other words, in what ways does their culture/way of life/values compare with ours?

3 Cups of Tea

Today we learned about how hard it was for Greg to raise the money for the school he promised to build in Korphe.  We learned how he then sold everything he had, including his car, books, etc. in order to fly back to Pakistan. 
What does this tell us about Greg's character? 


Greg finally arrived back in Pakistan, bought the materials he needed to build the school, loaded up the trucks and arrived finally in Skardu.

In Skardu, he goes to Changazi's house.  Changazi, Akhmalu, and Janjungpa all try to get Greg to build schools in their villages instead of in Korphe.  What is Greg's reaction?  Do you think his reaction is a fair one?
Why do you think that these three men tried to  get Greg to come to their villages, using dishonest ways,  instead of supporting his goal to get to Korphe?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, not only to my questions, but also in response to your classmates responses.

Three Cups of Tea-Main Character

Hello Room Full of Readers!
Happy Monday!
We have just entered into chapter 5 of our read-aloud.  What have we learned about Greg Mortenson so far?  What kind of person is he?  What things or people have we learned about that probably greatly influenced his life?  What question have occurred to you while listening to this story?

Happy Blogging!  Remember to make sure your blog is AT LEAST 5 sentences, check your grammar and mechanics and make sure your comments are thoughtful.  If you make a claim, be sure to back it up.

For example, Greg was a courageous person.  I know this because he decides to climb a truly difficult and intimidating mountain, K2.

Mrs. S

Non-fiction-What is Your Experience?

Hello Room full of Readers!


We will be starting a new read-aloud book this week and it is in a genre that we have not used for a read-aloud yet....non-fiction.

What is your experience with non-fiction books?  What is the last non-fiction book you have read?  What did you rate in on a scale of 1 to 10?  How often would you say you read non-fiction?  Is there a certain topic that you tend to read about?  What about family members, do you see any family members reading non-fiction?  If so, what types or titles?  Do you have any non-fiction books you are planning on or want to read?  If so, which ones?

I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences.....
Happy Reading,
Mrs. S

Turning Points

Wow, what a finish to our book!

I can't wait to hear your thoughts and impressions.  Tell me what you would rate this book on a scale of 1 to ten and tell me how you choose your rating.
What was your favorite part?  Least favorite part?

How is the summer of 1976 a turning point in the lives of both Gabe and Frita? When they are older, what do you think each will most remember about this exciting summer?

Happy Reading!
Mrs. S