Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Summer Reading!

It's almost the end of the school year which means....Summer Reading time!

Bird Middle School students are required to read a minimum of two books during the summer. All students have one required title based on their grade level and one other book of their choice from the Summer Reading List for a total of two books. See the grade level instructions below.
Required Reading TItles
 Students Entering 6th Grade Refugee by Alan Gratz Refugee
 Students Entering 7th Grade Lucy & Andy Neanderthal (Book #1) by Jeffrey Brown  Lucy & Andy Neanderthal
 Students Entering 8th GradeMark of the Thief (Book #1) by Jennifer A. Nielsen  Mark of the Thief

You are encouraged to take notes while reading your required grade level book. A Note-taking Guide and a Chapter Summary sheet are available on our website to help you organize your thoughts. The Social Studies teachers will have an assessment or assignment for you shortly after you start school in September. If you have read the book and taken a few notes, you should be able to successfully complete the assignment.
Summer Reading Activities For the book of your choice from the Summer Reading list, please complete one of the activities listed below. Write a book review. (2,000 characters max.). Provide a brief summary of the plot without giving away the ending. Include a favorite quote from the book (cite the page number) and what you enjoyed about this title. Click here to learn how to post your review in Destiny Discover. Your book review may be published on the BMS Destiny Discover online catalog. Compose a Tweet. Draft a Tweet promoting the book you have read. Tweets contain up to 280 characters. Be sure to include the title, author, a very short description without giving the plot away. Writing a short review is harder than you think! Incorporate at least one hashtag # or the author’s handle. A hashtag is used in front of a keyword or phrase and helps categorize the tweet during a search. You can email the draft of your tweet to Mrs. O’Malley at aomalley@walpole.k12.ma.us or hand it in to the Media Center the first two weeks of school. Your tweet may be used on the BMS Media website! Design a promotional book poster. Draw a picture of the book cover or an important scene/element from the book. Make it look like a movie poster. At the top list the title and author. Include a quote from you about why you liked the book and why others should read it too. At the bottom include an exciting plot description without giving away the ending. Your promotional book poster may be hung in the Media Center or school hallway!

Summer Reading Documents
Summer Reading List- Book descriptions included PDF

Friday, November 10, 2017

Media Literacy Week November 6-10th

What is Media Literacy? Becoming a critical thinker to interpret the hundreds of messages you are bombarded with online, in magazines, on television, in the movies, on social media, and in the news.

Anyone can create a website, but that doesn’t mean the information posted on the site is accurate and unbiased. Many times people retweet, share, and forward information that evoke strong emotions without checking if the content is true.

All media messages have a purpose behind them: to inform, to sell, to entertain, or to persuade. Be media smart by taking the time to evaluate information. Below is a video from Common Sense Education on questions to ask when you view media:
  1. Who created the message?
  2. What is the purpose of the message?
  3. Who paid for the message?
  4. Which attention grabbing ploys are used for the message to hold your attention?
  5. What is the point of view of the message and is it intended for a particular audience?


Works Cited
Common Sense Educators. “5 Essential Media Literacy Questions for Kids.” YouTube, YouTube, 30 Oct. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=48IZj2Kp57s.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Digital Citizenship Week

October 16th-20th is Digital Citizenship Week 
Click on the video below to learn more.

 

Works Cited
CommonSenseMedia. “What Is Digital Citizenship?” YouTube, YouTube, 11 Oct. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=toK_BAYnjoU.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Celebrate Your Right to Read

The week of September 24-30 is Banned Books week. The school library protects your right to access books, enjoy reading, and form your own opinions about what you choose to read.

Exercise your freedom to read by checking out a library book today!




Works Cited
American Library Association. “Banned Books Week 2017: Sept. 24 - Sept. 30.” Advocacy, Legislation & Issues, American Library Association, 2017, www.ala.org/bbooks.
American Library Association. “Top Ten Challenged Books of 2016.” YouTube, YouTube, 10 Apr. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=O19TVmXWcyI.

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Don't Forget Your Summer Reading!

Now that we've enjoyed the first few weeks of summer break, don't leave your Summer Reading until the last minute. Bird Middle School students are required to read a minimum of two books during the summer. All students have one required title based on their grade level (see directly below) and one book of their choice from the list of twenty-five titles. Try reading your mandatory book in July and your second book in August.

Mandatory Reading Requirements
Students Entering 6th Grade - Flush by Carl Hiaasen
Students Entering 7th Grade - The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition) by William Kamkwanba & Bryan Mealer
Students Entering 8th Grade - The Martian (Classroom Edition) by Andy Weir

You are encouraged to take notes while reading your required grade level book. A Note-taking Guide and a Chapter Summary sheet are available on our website to help you organize your thoughts. The Science department teachers will have an assessment or assignment for you shortly after you start school in September. If you have read the book and taken a few notes, you should be able to successfully complete the assignment.


Summer Reading Activities
Please read one book from the list of twenty-five Summer Reading titles (click here to access list and book descriptions). Then complete one of the following activities.

  1. Write a book review. Write the title, author, and genre of the book. Provide a brief summary of the plot without giving away the ending. Comment on the book’s strengths and weaknesses. Include a favorite quote from the book (cite the page number) and what you enjoyed about this title. Your book review may be published on the BMS Media News blog!

  1. Compose a Tweet. Draft a Tweet promoting the book you have read. Tweets contain up to 140 characters. Be sure to include the title, author, a very short description without giving the plot away. Writing a short review is harder than you think! Incorporate at least one hashtag # or the author’s handle. A hashtag is used in front of a keyword or phrase and helps categorize the tweet during a search. You can use the following character counter to make sure you do not go over the 140 limit: http://www.twitter-character-counter.com/ You can email the draft of your tweet to Mrs. O’Malley at aomalley@walpole.k12.ma.us. Your tweet may be used on the BMS Media twitter feed!

  1. Create a book talk. Write a script for a 2 minute video book talk. Include the title, author, and genre of the book. Provide a brief summary of the plot without giving away the ending. Comment on the book’s strengths and weaknesses. Include a favorite quote from the book (cite the page number) and what you enjoyed about this title. If you are tech-savvy, film your book talk and email your submission to Mrs. O’Malley at aomalley@walpole.k12.ma.us. Your book talk may be used on the BMS Media website!

  1. Design a promotional book poster. Draw a picture of the book cover or an important scene/element from the book. Make it look like a movie poster. At the top list the title and author. Include a quote from you about why you liked the book and why others should read it too. At the bottom include an exciting plot description without giving away the ending. Your promotional book poster may be hung in the Media Center or school hallway!

Happy Reading!

Monday, January 2, 2017

2017 Reading Resolutions

Have you created any reading resolutions for the new year? A New Year’s resolution is “a promise to do something differently in the new year” according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary. I have set two reading resolutions for myself to help me continue making reading a habit as well as try out different types of books.

Mrs. O’Malley’s 2017 Reading Resolutions:
  • Read 25 books this year.
  • Read at least one of each of the following types of books:
    • graphic novel
    • science fiction/fantasy
    • mystery/thriller
    • humor
    • adventure
    • realistic fiction
    • historical fiction
    • biography/memoir
    • nonfiction
    • sports (fiction or nonfiction)
    • start a new fiction series
    • read a  book recommended by a student
    • read a book recommended by a teacher or librarian
    • read an award-winning book

If you would like to make a reading resolution for yourself, but need some inspiration try one of the following suggestions:
  • Read 4 times a week
  • Read 20 minutes each day
  • Do not watch the movie until you’ve read the book first
  • Try joining a book club (or ask your BFF to read the same book, then discuss)
  • Start a book journal to log titles read
  • Write a book review
Works Cited
“Definition of New Year's Resolution.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/New%20Year's%20resolution.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Digital Citizenship Week October 16-22

Digital Citizenship is using appropriate, responsible behavior when interacting with technology.

This week's tip: THINK before you post online

THINK
Is it TRUE
Is it HELPFUL
Is it INSPIRING
Is it NECESSARY
Is it KIND

Think before you post.