Text Reformulation This week you need to start thinking about how you’d like to respond to Sign of the Beaver…

We’ve enjoyed so much in this novel We’ve enjoyed so much in this novel!! Learned so much… gone on such an adventure with the boys! Now it’s time to reflect and respond… and the highest level of our pyramid… CREATE! 

We have a few fun ideas WE thought of for you to create… You can choose an option you see here… or can get one of your ideas OK’ed by your teacher!

Narrative ideas… Tell the story Matt tells to his family – after chapter 25. How does he retell it? Are there parts he makes exaggerated? How do they respond? Attean’s version of the bear story!  Matt doesn’t get to understand it, but can tell he’s stretching it. How do you think he does it?

Letters If Matt had a way to communicate to Attean, what would he tell him? What would his thoughts and reflections be? If Matt could write to his family, what would he tell them? Pick a point in the story for the time of your letter and write away!

Write a book! Matt teaches Attean to read with Robinson Crusoe. Could you create a better way for Matt to teach him? A book that would be able interesting to Attean, but would still teach him at his level of English?

Journal! Pick a key event or time from the story, and write a journal from the perspective of Matt, Attean, his father, Saknis.

Research Want to know more about the Penobscot Indians? About the struggle between the Indians and the white men? About the French and Indian war? Flood stories: Attean mentions that he has a flood story as well. Would you like to learn about what other cultures also have flood stories in their cultures? The possibilities are endless! Anything that Elizabeth George Speare may have studied to prepare to write the novel!

Those are just a few ideas… You probably have many more! The sky is the limit. We only require that it tie into the story, and is a reflection of something that really stood out to you from the novel. A question, a situation, something that you haven’t tied up yet in your head.

Rubric… Rubric 4 - Excellent! 3 – Good 2 - Fair 1 – Unsatisfactory Ideas Text reformulation shows comprehensive understanding of the characters, relationships, conflicts and main ideas of the novel. Text reformulation shows general understanding of the characters, relationships, conflicts and main ideas of the novel. Text reformulation shows minimal understanding of the characters, relationships, conflicts and main ideas of the novel. Confusing! Text reformulation shows no understanding of the characters, relationships, conflicts and main ideas of the novel. VERY confusing! Remains true to the spirit of the novel. Writing project shows imagination (creative), yet preserves the intent of the author (believable). Captures some of the spirit of the novel. Writing project attempts to be creative, and is believable. Off course from the spirit of the novel. Lacks creativity or believability. Completely misses the spirit of the novel. Creativity is not there or is misplaced. Ideas are not believable. Organization Text reformulation is well-planned and executed with precision. End product is visually stunning, easy to understand/follow. Text reformulation shows planning and is executed well. End product is easy to understand/follow. Text reformulation is NOT well-planned and executed poorly. End product is at times confusing. Text reformulation is executed very poorly. End product is messy and confusing. Voice Shows detailed knowledge about the novel and connects to the reader. Engaging! Uses the appropriate tone (depending on project), but does not connect with the reader. I get the message. Does not connect well with readers Yawn. Does not connect with readers at all. You’ve lost me. Word Choice Writing is clear and original. Verbs of steel are used throughout. Writing is concise and not cluttered. Writing is clear. Verbs of steel are used once in awhile. Writing is concise and not cluttered. Writing is sometimes unclear/dull. Verbs are weak. Writing is at times wordy or cluttered. Writing is unclear/dull. Verbs are weak. Writing is wordy and cluttered, OR is too basic. Sentence Fluency Writing is smooth, natural and easy to read. Almost every sentence begins differently. Perfect for reading aloud! Writing is easy to read. Many sentences begin differently. Good for reading aloud. Has choppy, fragmented and/or run-on sentences. Sentences beginnings tend to be alike. Hard to read aloud. Consistently difficult to follow. Choppiness, run-ons, or other problems. Conventions Is free or almost free of errors Has minor errors that do not confuse the reader Makes frequent errors that confuse the reader Makes serious and repeated errors