Well, not really. I just thought I’d give this post about the literary element of plot an exciting opening!

Plot, of course, simply refers to the sequence of events in a story or play. The most exciting part of the plot is called the climax. That, my young friends, is what I want you to think about when you respond to this assignment.

So tell us…

• What do you think the climax was in your favorite book that you’ve read for this project? Don’t give away what happened as a result of that event, but try to tell us what the most exciting part of the book was. Some books have a battle at the climax, others have some manner of confrontation between the main characters. The climax is going to lead to a resolution to the story’s main conflict.

• And speaking of conflict, what was the MAIN conflict in this book that you’re talking about? Remember, we discussed that there were four main types of conflict in literature – man vs. man, man vs. self, man vs. nature, and man vs. society. Which one is the most important in the book?

Alright, kiddos. The school year is winding down, but you’ve still got work to do!

Hello again! We’re now in the midst of our annual CATS testing and it’s likely that you may need to do some of your posting from home since we won’t be having Reading class every day like we usually do.

I’m going to keep the intro short and sweet this week so that you can get to work! Choose one of the books that you have been reading as a part of this assignment to answer your questions.

Your comment this week needs to address the following:

• What is the setting of the book? Please remember to include both WHERE and WHEN the story takes place. And the “when” needs to address the time period in which the story happens – not something like “morning” or “evening”.

• Describe how the setting is important to the story. ”Where” or “when” a series of events occurs has an impact on what kind of things can or do happen. You can’t fly with a jet pack (yet), but people in Colonial America didn’t exactly have cars. See what I mean? So, I want you to describe a reason that the setting of YOUR book affects THAT story.

After you’ve posted your own comment, choose a classmate and ask them a question about what they wrote. Don’t forget to include the title of your book in your answer!

4th graders, you are doing an EXCELLENT job so far with your first blogging experience! I really like the way that you are putting thought into your own comments and then saying positive and encouraging things to your classmates!

Here’s your new topic:

• This is a two-part question.
  • Name and describe the main character of your first project book. Include info such as the character’s age, physical features, and aspects of their personality. In other words, what is this character like?

  AND

  • Describe how you feel about the main character of your book. Do you like them? Dislike them? Do you think that you would want to interact with the character if he/she/it was a real person? Make sure that you tell us WHY you feel the way that you do.

All righty then! Let’s get to writing about reading!

Today we kick off our Reading Project!

To get started on the right foot, I want everyone to respond to the following question:

What did you choose as your first book to read and what made you pick it?

I will be looking to see that you actually put some content in your answer. Was it the plot? The cover? (we all know you’re not supposed to judge by those but they DO matter sometimes!) The characters sounded relatable/interesting? You’ve got to give us something to work with here. Not only for the fact that your grade will suffer if you can’t back up your own opinion, but because of the SECOND part of your assignment. That would be…

After telling us what book you chose and why, you need to make a comment about SOMEONE ELSE’S comment.

In other words, you’re going to respond to them just like you were talking to them in real life.

Alrighty then! Have at it, kids!

I’m anxiously awaiting what YOU have to say!