Wrapping up our fantasy book clubs!

Wow, it has been one incredible reading unit with the fifth graders this winter! We are wrapping up our fantasy book club unit. These kids have made so much growth as readers and have pushed themselves to think DEEPLY about their books! 

One of the areas that we dove deep into is how our authors reinforce or break gender norms. We focused on the gender norms that we are familiar with and how our characters actions, emotions, and appearances effect them. 

          We have also spent time reflecting on the symbols that our authors use to teach lessons in the book. We looked for repeating objects, characters, or problems and thought about what those things could represent or mean. Then, we took our symbols, put them together, and tried to figure out how they fit together to teach us themes and life lessons.          

Another skill we have focused on throughout this unit is tacking complex vocabulary. We read a poem full of nonsense words using the Kagan Structure Sage N' Scribe, and made sense of what the author was telling us in each stanza. Although the poem was full of words that we had never heard before, we were able to make meaning and determine the message that the author intended for us to learn. It was a powerful experience because the students were able to understand that they do not need to know the exact meaning of every word in order to make sense of their stories. 

We have had an incredibly successful reading unit and are getting ready to show off our learning this week!