Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Final Post - End of Book Thoughts

Your journey with Don't You Know There's a War On? has come to an end, I hope you enjoyed it. I want you to spend some time reflecting on the book. Think about the character, the time period, the main events in the story.

  • What did you enjoy most about the book? 
  • Was there anything you didn't like about the book? 
  • What did you think about the way the story ended?
  • Was there anything you wish would have happened that didn't? 
Please use specific details from the story to support your thinking. Be honest about your feelings and thinking, this is your time to reflect on your book. Make sure to answer ALL questions.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Week 5 Discussion Question

The book is called "Don't You Know There's A War On?" and this phrase is mentioned many times throughout the story. What does this saying mean? Why do so many people use it throughout the story? Why do you think it allows people to get away with so much? Make sure to use specific examples from the story to support your thinking.

Please answer this in a RAD Response and check you conventions before you publish. Make sure to really explain your thinking and type it in your blogging doc first!

Monday, May 4, 2015

Week 5 Agenda

Here is your agenda for the week ahead. This is what you should be working on and completing each day. If you need help planning out your work, come see me! This will all be due on Friday. Enjoy.

Monday, May 4th:

  • Group Discussion
Tuesday, May 5th: 
  • Read Chapters 33, 34, and 35
  • Find 1 Vocabulary Word for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
Wednesday, May 6th: 
  • Read Chapters 36, 37, and 38
  • Find 1 Vocabulary Word for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
  • Begin Blog Post
Thursday, May 7th: 
  • Read Chapters 39, 40, and 41
  • Find 1 Vocabulary Word for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
  • Finish Blog Post/Comments
Friday, May 8th:
  • Reading Party!!
  • Finish Your Book
  • Finish Your Work, Hand in Folder
On Friday, you should have completed the following work:
  • 3 Vocabulary Words
  • 6 Quality Questions
  • 1 Blog Post/Comments

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Week 4 Discussion Question

Howie decides to make a petition for the students to sign in the hopes that he can save Miss Gossim's job. The problem Howie faces though is that he promised her he wouldn't tell anyone about what is going on in her life. Howie ultimately decides that he has to do something by saying, "I couldn't do nothing for my pop, or Denny's dad, but I could do something for Miss Gossim...doing something was better than doing nothing." Do you agree with Howie's decision to write the petition, why or why not? Why do you think he really did it, even though he knew he was breaking a promise? Miss Gossim says to Howie, "Please, please, please don't try to help me again." Do you think Howie will listen, why or why not? Make sure to support your thinking with examples from the book.

Make sure to answer the question with a RAD response and use details  from the text to support your answer. Please check your grammar, spelling, capitalization, and conventions before submitting your response.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Week 4 Agenda

Here is your agenda for the week ahead. This is what you should be working on completing each day. If you need help planning out your work, please come and see me. This will all be due on Friday. Enjoy!

Monday, April 27th:

  • Read Chapters 24, 25, and 26
  • Find 1 Vocabulary Word for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
  • Begin Summary/Thinking Log
  • Finish any of this for homework
Tuesday, April 28th: 
  • Read Chapters 27, 28, and 29 
  • Find 1 Vocabulary Word for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
  • Work on Summary/Thinking Log
  • Finish any of this for homework
Wednesday, April 29th: 
  • Read Chapters 30, 31, and 32
  • Find 1 Vocabulary Word for your folder (you should have 3 total)
  • Write 2 Quality Questions (there should be 6 total)
  • Finish your Summary/Thinking Log
  • Begin your Blog Post
  • Finish any of this work for homework
Thursday, April 30th: 
  • Finish Vocabulary Words (3 total)
  • Finish your Quality Questions (6 total)
  • Make sure your Summary/Thinking Log is finished (both parts)
  • Work on your Blog Post
    • Comment on other's posts
  • Write your Character Diary
  • Finish any of this work for homework (Due TOMORROW)
Friday, May 1st: 
  • Group Discussion
  • Turn in Folder Work/Blog Posts
On Friday, you should have the following work completed: 
  • 3 Vocabulary Words
  • 6 Quality Questions
  • 1 Summary/Thinking Log
  • 1 Character Diary
  • 1 Blog Post/Comments

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Week 3 Discussion Question

Howie's family finally receive a letter from their 'Pop.' They are excited until they realize it is a "Swiss-cheese letter." What does 'swiss-cheese letter' mean? After talking to his Mom, how did Howie know that something in his Pop's letter had troubled his Mom? Why is Howie worried about his Pop's safety as he tries to return home? (A clue to help you answer these questions can be found on the headlines right before Chapter 20). Make sure you answer all of the questions and use examples from the text to support your answers. You should also make sure to clearly explain your thinking.

Make sure to answer the question with a RAD response and use details from the text to support your answer. Please check your grammar, spelling, capitalization, and conventions before submitting your response. Type it in your blogging doc first so you can go back and edit your work.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Week 3 Agenda

Here is your agenda for the week ahead. This is what you should be working on and completing each day. If you need help planning out your work, please come see me. This will all be due on Friday. Enjoy!

Monday, April 20th: 

  • No School for Students
Tuesday, April 21st: 

  • Read Chapters 19, 20, and 21
  • Find 1 (or 2) Vocabulary Word for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
  • Begin Summary/Thinking Log
  • Finish any of this work for homework
Wednesday, April 22nd:

  • Read Chapters 22, 23, and 24
  • Find 1 (or 2) Vocabulary Words for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
  • Work on Summary/Thinking Log
  • Begin Blog Post
  • Finish any of this work for homework
Thursday, April 23rd:

  • Finish Vocabulary Words (3 total)
  • Finish Quality Questions (4 total) 
  • Make sure your Summary/Thinking Log is finished (both parts) 
  • Work on your Blog Post
    • Comment on other's posts
  • Finish any of this work for homework (Due TOMORROW) 
Friday, April 24th:

  • Group Discussion
  • Turn in Folders/Blog Posts
On Friday, you should have the following work completed: 

  • 3 Vocabulary Words
  • 4 Quality Questions
  • 1 Summary/Thinking Log
  • 1 Blog Post/Comments
  • (There will be NO Character Diary this week and ONLY 4 Questions) 

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Week 2 Discussion Question

Why do you think Howie doesn't tell Miss Gossim what he know is about to happen to her? If Lomister does fire her, why will this be so hard for Howie? Please use examples from the story to support your answer.

Write you response in RAD format. Check your spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization, before you post. You should type your response in your blogging doc first!

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Week 2 Agenda

Here is your agenda for the week ahead. This is what you should be working on and completing each day. If you need help planning out your work, please come see me. This will all be due on Friday. Enjoy!

Monday, April 13th:

  • Read Chapters 10, 11, 12
  • Find 1 Vocabulary Word for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
  • Begin Summary/Thinking Log
  • Finish any of this work for homework
Tuesday, April 14th: 
  • Read Chapters 13, 14, 15
  • Find 1 Vocabulary Word for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
  • Work on Summary/Thinking Log
  • Finish any of this work for homework
Wednesday, April 15th: 
  • Read Chapters 16, 17, 18
  • Find 1 Vocabulary Word for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
  • Finish your Summary/Thinking Log
  • Begin your Character Diary
  • Being your Blog Post
  • Finish any of this work for homework
Thursday, April 16th: 
  • Make sure you have 3 Vocabulary Words
  • Make sure you have 6 Quality Questions
  • Make sure your Summary/Thinking Log is complete
  • Finish up your Character Diary
  • Finish up your Blog Post
  • Finish any of this work for homework (due TOMORROW)
Friday, April 17th: 
  • Group Discussion
  • Turn in Folder Work/Blog Posts
On Friday you should have the following work completed: 
  • 3 Vocabulary Words
  • 6 Quality Questions
  • 1 Summary/Thinking Log
  • 1 Character Diary
  • 1 Blog Post/Comments

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Week 1 Discussion Question

Denny and Howie believe that their Principal, Dr. Lomister, is a Nazi spy. What are some of the clues from Chapters 2-4 that lead them to think this (use specific examples from the book)? Do YOU think he is a spy too, why or why not (explain your thinking)?

Make sure to write in complete sentences using a RAD response. You should use specific examples from the book to support your answer. Make sure to answer all parts of the question and edit your work before posting it to the site. Type it in your blogging doc first so you don't lose your work and can go back and edit. Show me your best thinking!

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Week 1 Agenda

Here is your agenda for this week. This is what you should be working on and completing each week. Enjoy!

Monday, April 6th

  • Read Chapter 1, 2, and 3 in class together (begin sticky notes)
  • Begin working on your Summary/Thinking Log
  • Find 1 Vocabulary word for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
Tuesday, April 7th
  • Finish work from Monday
  • Read Chapters 4, 5, and 6 (finish for homework if necessary)
Wednesday, April 8th
  • Work on your Summary/Thinking Log
  • Find 1 Vocabulary word for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
  • Begin Character Diary/Blog Question Response
  • Read Chapters 7, 8, and 9 (finish for homework if necessary)
Thursday, April 9th
  • Finish Summary/Thinking Log (based on Chapters 1-6)
  • Find 1 Vocabulary word for your folder
  • Write 2 Quality Questions
  • Work on Character Diary/Blog Question Response/Comment on others
  • Finish folder work for homework if necessary
Friday, April 10th
  • Group Discussion
  • Turn in Folder Work
When I collect your folders on Friday I will be looking for: 
  • 1 Summary/Thinking Log (based on Chapters 1-9)
  • 3 Vocabulary words
  • 6 Quality Questions
  • 1 completed Character Diary (5+ sentences)
  • Answered this weeks Blog Question/Comment on other's posts

Friday, April 3, 2015

Welcome to Our Blog!

This post just welcomes you to the site. We are so excited to read this book and get started.


"World War II is on everyone's mind and in every headline, and Howie Crispers has a hunch that his school principal is a spy. With a little snooping around, Howie finds out something even more alarming. Principal Lomister may not be a spy, but he is plotting to get rid of Howie's favorite teacher. Howie's dad is fighting Nazis overseas, and his mom is working hard to support the war effort, so Miss Gossim is the only person Howie can depend on. With the help of his friends, and a plan worthy of radio show superhero Captain Midnight, Howie tries to save his favorite teacher." - Amazon.com