Ahh...summer. The time to
tackle major projects (moving), reflect upon last year's lessons
(blogging), and take time to relax (pinterest and reading). I've been
alternating being productive by reading to prepare for literature
circles next year with life tasks and copious amounts of Netflix.
Rick Riordan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
Since I've read the Percy Jackson series, The Lost Hero, and The Son of Neptune, my next logical book was the Mark of Athena.
Picking up right where The Son of Neptune left off, Percy, Jason, and company must now safely and quickly blend the Greek and Roman camps together by heading to the homeland. Of course, nothing is easy for the prophecy of seven.
Coming in around fifty pages, this is one of my longest teacher guides ever...but considering the book is close to 600 pages, it makes sense! You can snag both the teacher guide and chronological order sort here!
When I was younger, I was obsessed with Ancient Egypt. From mummies to scarabs to Nefertiti, I simply couldn't get enough. I was giddy with excitement when I discovered that one of my favorite authors, Rick Riordan, has a trilogy based on ancient Egypt.
I was fortunate enough to get to read The Red Pyramid with a small group in May but we ran out of time for the sequels...which naturally found their way onto my summer reading list!
I am pleased to announce two new teacher guides with matching chronological order sorts are now available on TpT!
The first is The Throne of Fire, the second in the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan.
In this much anticipated sequel, Carter and Sadie Kane are off to save the world again before ancient Egyptian gods and monsters destroy it. By blending witty commentary with a fast paced story line and amusing characters, Riordan doesn't disappoint! I can't wait to dive into The Serpent's Shadow next!
This novel guide is 31 pages and includes vocabulary, homework ideas, and comprehension questions (with answers) for each chapter! Extension ideas are also included.
To accompany this novel, I created a chronological order sort where students must put 26 events from the novel in order. This helps students analyze how events build upon one another in the novel and how the author reveals the plot via characters. (RL 5.5) An answer key is included to alleviate arguments and this can be used as a summative assessment for comprehension or a collaborative center for students while the teacher pulls small groups.
Since I loved The Throne of Fire so much, The Serpent's Shadow was a natural next choice.
Things are worse than ever for the Kanes, with Apophis rising and a crafty magician to keep track of! Rick Riordan does a wonderful job at wrapping up this trilogy while imbedding subtle hints at the world of Greek mythology.
Snag the teacher's guide and the chronological order sort now!
I also created a "who am I" game with 25 characters from the trilogy. Students guess the character based on the given clues. I also included an answer key.
I was on such a role with analyzing characters that I also made this sort:
Students can independently or collaboratively sort the terms (smaller cards) into the characters that are being described (larger cards). Snag it here!
Happy reading :)
I'm finally feeling the sense of relief that accompanies summer. With the exception of a guest bedroom where I dumped my classroom (specifically several thousand books), my new home is decorated and unpacked. Over the course of my summer break, I painstakingly painted thirty seven cabinet doors to give my kitchen a complete makeover. We also painted our master bedroom and bathroom because olive green wasn't my preferred shade. We patched the doggie door so our kittens won't try to be adventurous and explore outside and patched several dozen wall nicks from picture frames. We had our friends and family over for our house warming and I can now finally relax.
By relax, I mean spend a few hours on pinterest finding ideas for next year and tackle the pile of books I've been dying to read! My boyfriend asked what my plans for tomorrow are and was a bit shocked when my response was simply to read. I've got The Throne of Fire and Mark of Athena just waiting to be devoured!
I also need to start figuring out my classroom theme for next year. What I love about my new school is the fact that every classroom is cute and organized. It makes me feel accepted and not like a strange person for wanting my classroom to be organized with coordinating colors.
One of my former neighbors is moving to teaching sixth grade science and gave me her entire cube collection that she used for her classroom library. I'm excited to get to actually organize my books by AR levels and author rather than just throwing them all on the shelf and crossing my fingers that students find ones they like. Granted, the first few weeks in August will be spent organizing my new classroom but it's a great thing that my new school is only 8 minutes away!
Now that my home is done, I can leisurely enjoy my summer and catch up on reading!
Rick Riordan is my new favorite author. I just finished reading The Son of Neptune and absolutely loved this book. Rick Riordan's writing is drenched with sassy commentary from the characters and provokes many literal laughing out loud moments.
My boyfriend made the mistake of asking what the book was about...he got a fifteen minute synopsis of the Rick Riordan universe instead of a brief retelling. Sorry babe...but don't ask about a book if you don't want a long explanation!
My teacher guide is available here and corresponding centers will be up soon!
Lucky for me, there are sequels:
Even luckier? They were buy one, get one free at our Scholastic book fair this week!
Even though summer break is days away, I will still be reading books and prepping materials for my students next year. I love that I get time to read :)
