What is the Power Of Words?: Sacrifice. Service. Freedom. Honor. Duty. Patriotism. What is the power of words?

This year is off to a great start! I have enjoyed getting to know all of the students that form House 8 Gold! We are currently in the midst of a brand new literature circle unit that is designed to help students gain background knowledge about Veterans in preparation for our 8th grade Veterans Day Celebration. The Veterans Day Celebration is one the most memorable days of the entire school year. Students seem to mature so much in just one school day. They show up in their best attire and act as hosts to Veterans young and old. They have conversations. They ask questions. They make memories for themselves and for the veterans. They are often surprised to see the veterans brought to tears by the ceremony and breakfast and applause. The day serves as a cornerstone for our trip to DC. Suddenly the monuments and memorials have names and faces associated with them.

We have designed this 8th grade unit in hopes that students will have a deeper wealth of background information so that they can have a greater understanding and appreciation about what Veterans Day means. Students were given a choice of 5 novels to read. Students ranked their top three choices and were then placed into a book circle based on their preference, their reading level, and other classmates who expressed an interest in the various books. Fortunately, each student was able to be placed into their first or second choice! As students read they are being asked to look for examples of the six words that are the focus for Veterans Day and the trip to Washington, DC: sacrifice, service, freedom, honor, duty, and patriotism.

While we read, there is also an emphasis on several skills:
-Being an active participant in discussions (what does a "good" discussion look and sound like?)
-Finding, citing, and explaining textual evidence to support an interpretation
-Identifying internal and external conflicts
-Making Text-to-Text Connections by connecting non-fiction stories and articles to their book circle novels

At the end of the unit students will demonstrate their learning by choosing at least one of the six words to share with the class. Each student will share what the word means to them and will use evidence from their book to support their definition.

After careful consideration, the following five novels were selected for this unit. They are:
I Am a Seal Team Six Warrior by Henry Wasdin (nonfiction)
Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick
Somebody Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer
Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Codetalkers by Joseph Bruchac

All of these books focus on issues central to war, so there is a wealth of serious and important subject matter to discuss. Please talk with your son/daughter about what they are reading in class. They are doing a great job with the discussions, and I have been impressed with their focus, engagement, and thoughtful interpretations. So far we've discussed the six words at length in addition to issues such as author's word choice, conflicts, theme, etc.