Students will glue to cover of blue book. - September 1, 2016
Burbank Middle School - One Semester, One Book
Novel Guide
Student Name: ____________________________
Homeroom Teacher: _________________
Students will glue inside back cover prior to reading. - September 1, 2016
Text Annotation

Underline - anything that stands out as interesting

Circle - unfamiliar words or phrases (define/explain in the margin or on a sticky
note)

* (stars) - examples of figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification,
alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, idiom)

? (Question Mark) - passages you don’t understand

! (Exclamation Mark) - passages that are extremely important, interesting or
shocking
Students will complete quiz. Create a single-tab fold, glue on inside front cover and write prediction under
quiz. - September 1, 2016
SUPERQUIZ!
Are you a superhero . . .
or a supervillain?
Take the quiz to find out!
6. What do you do when you hear sirens?
a) Follow them. Someone might need your help.
b) Mind your own business and try to avoid getting
run over by an emergency vehicle.
c) Gleefully rub your hands together. Your scheme has
worked.
1. You’re out for a walk when you notice a kitten
stuck in a tree. What do you do?
a) Climb the tree and rescue the unfortunate feline.
b) If the cat climbed up the tree, it should be able to
climb back down, right? Ignore the cat’s frightened
yowls and continue on your way.
c) Chop down the tree and hold the kitten hostage
until its owner meets your demands.
7. Do you get in trouble at school?
a) Never.
b) Sometimes.
c) Only on days that end in “y.”
8. During your last trip to the bank, you . . .
a) scanned the other customers and took note of any
suspicious behavior.
b) were bored out of your mind.
c) scoped out the locations of security cameras, access
to the vault, and possible escape routes.
2. At last year’s science fair, you . . .
a) won first prize for creating a machine that sorts
trash into recyclable components.
b) didn’t participate. Science isn’t really your thing.
c) were disqualified when your zombie guinea pig
attacked one of the judges.
3. A bully just administered an atomic wedgie to the
president of the Mathletes. How do you respond?
a) Swoop in, grab a nearby ruler and graphing
calculator as weapons, and in a booming voice, say:
“Unhand the nerd, you fiend!”
b) Do nothing. Let the principal deal with it.
c) Recruit the bully to be your henchman.
4. In PE, you . . .
a) excel in all athletic activities and enjoy being the
star of every sport.
b) do okay in some activities but don’t make a huge
deal out of it.
c) brainwash the coach into giving you the rest of the
semester off.
5. You’ve been asked to clean your room. What do
you do?
a) Clean your room until it’s spotless. While you’re
at it, clean the rest of the house and all the homes
on your block too. Helping others is an important
part of being a member of a productive and orderly
society!
b) Toss your clothes into the closet and close the door.
Stuff everything else under the bed.
c) Trick question. You don’t have a room. You have
a lair. And everyone knows your minions do your
cleaning for you.
9. Once you’re done reading, what will you do with
this book?
a) Donate it to the library.
b) Put it on the bookshelf or keep it on your device in
case you want to read it again.
c) Shred the pages and set them on fire. Wouldn’t
want anyone to see the plans for world domination
that you scribbled in the margins.
If you answered (a) 4 to 6 times, you might make a
good sidekick. Time to start practicing your zingers and
witty one- liners. But be careful not to make them too good.
Wouldn’t want to upstage the superhero you’re working with.
If you answered (a) 7 or more times, you are destined
to be a superhero. Congratulations— now get out there and
fight evil already! The world isn’t going to save itself!
If you answered (b) 4 to 6 times, you sound like a pretty
ordinary kid. Flying under the radar is just your style.
If you answered (b) 7 or more times, you are definitely
an ordinary kid. Or maybe it’s all part of your plan to blend
in and maintain your secret identity.
If you answered (c) 4 to 6 times, you’ve got a long
career ahead of you as an evil henchman. Hope you like
cleaning zombie cages.
If you answered (c) 7 or more times, you are a true
supervillain. Better work on your maniacal evil laugh.
Mwahahaha!
Students will glue on page 1 - September 9, 2016
Students will glue cd pocket on page 2. - September 9, 2016
Students will complete assignment for all character cards and place in cd pocket. ( this is an ongoing activity)
Describe two personality traits for each character and support your answer with textual evidence. Place the information on the
back of the card using complete sentences and citing the page number.
Students will glue cd pocket on page 2. - September 9, 2016
Students will complete assignment for all character cards and place in cd pocket. ( this is an ongoing activity)
Students will glue cd pocket on page 2. - September 9, 2016
Students will complete assignment for all character cards and place in cd pocket. ( this is an ongoing activity)
Joshua Dread
Using the information provided in the text, draw Joshua Dread in the space provided.
Students will glue figurative language notes on page 3. - September 15, 2016
Figurative Language
Figurative language is a tool that an author uses, to help the reader
visualize, or see, what is happening in a story or poem.
Types of Figurative Language
SIMILE
IS A COMPARISON USING LIKE OR AS. IT USUALLY
COMPARES TWO UNLIKE OBJECTS.
Example: His feet are as big as boats. Feet and boats are being compared.
Metaphor
states that one thing is something else. It is a comparison, but does NOT use like or
as to make the comparison.
Example: Her hair is silk. Hair and silk are being compared.
Personification is giving human qualities, feelings, actions, or characteristics to inanimate (not living) objects.
Example: The house stared at me with looming eyes. The verb, stared, is a human action. A house is
a non-living object. Therefore, we have a good example of personification.
Example: The ancient car gr oaned into fir st gear . The ver b, ________________, is a human
action. A _________________ is a non-living thing.
Alliteration is the repetition of the initial consonant. There should be at
least two repetitions in a row.
Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper s. The fir st letter , p, is a consonant. Its
sound is repeated many times.
Onomatopoeia is the imitation of natural sounds in word form. These words
help us form mental pictures, or visualize, things, people, or places that
are described. Sometimes a word names a thing or action by copying the
sound.
Example: Bong! Hiss Buzz!
Hyperbole is intentionally exaggerated figures of speech.
Example: It’s so hot outside you can fr y an egg on the sidewalk.
Imagery involves one or more of your five senses – the abilities to hear, taste, touch,
smell, and see. An author uses a word or phrase to stimulate your memory of those
senses and to help create mental pictures.
Idioms An expression that means something other than the literal meanings of its
individual words.. Example: It was r aining cats and dogs.
Students will glue figurative language chart on page 4. - September 15, 2016
Students will use a single-tab fold and complete the chart. Then, create original examples under the fold.
Type of Figurative
Language
Simile
Metaphor
Personification
Alliteration
Onomatopoeia
Hyperbole
Imagery
Idiom
Example from novel
(include page number)
What does the it mean?
What was the author’s
intended impact on the
reader?
(use complete sentences)


Students will glue lab drawing on page 5. - September 27, 2016
Students will use a single-tab fold and leave space to provide text evidence and answer HOT question.
Dr. Dread’s Laboratory
What does the author’s description of the laboratory reveal about Dr. Dread? (Answer the question under the
drawing using complete sentences and providing textual evidence.
Students will complete the story plot line, glue using a single tab fold on page 6. Students will answer the questions under the fold. - October 24, 2016
Students will cut out the questions for their grade-level and glue on the back of the story plotline.
Students will answer the questions on the lined paper using complete sentences and providing text
evidence.. - October 24, 2016
6th Grade  How does the author show that Joshua’s parents have complicated personalities?
 Which event triggers the turning point in the story?
 The author’s choice of first-person narrator helps the reader
-
7th Grade  How does the setting influence the plot of the story?
 Describe Joshua’s internal conflict in the story.
 The point of view from which the story is told gives
the reader insight into what?
8th Grade  Which event triggers the main conflict in the novel?
 What quality does Joshua have that influences the theme of
the story?
 Because the story is written from a first-person point of
view, the reader is better able to understand
Students will create their own cover and glue to cover of blue book using single-tab fold. . - This will
be done in the reading teacher’s classroom. (optional extension)
Extension Activity to be completed in reading classes… Theme is the lesson about life or human nature the author wishes to convey. Create a collage representing the theme of the novel . Then, use the graphic organizer to explain the theme and your collage.
Theme
The theme of the Joshua Dread is…
____________________________________
____________________________________
This is the best theme because…
______________________
______________________
_______________________
_______________________
The pictures in the collage represent the theme because...
____________________________
_________________________
________________________