Thursday, April 5, 2012

Leveled Readers: Making Judgments


Ladies and Gentlemen,

Please comment to this post. In your comment, answer the question located in the front cover of your book. You should be making some type of judgement (we also call this comprehension strategy evaluation). You may be asked to make a judgement about a character in the book or the author's craft.

Please make sure to push your thinking, and write a comment which includes evidence from the text.

Thanks,
~ Mr. Moore

31 comments:

  1. The author I think is doing a good job evaluating Bill Pickettt’s exciting life. On page 4 in the second paraph it told me when Bill was born and on the third paraph it also told me that Bill was the oldest of thirteen children, also that Bill only got through the fifth grade. Also on page 6 on the first paraph it told me that one time Bill saw a rancher doing a method called BUlldogging and from that day forward Bill also used that method. On page 9 on the first paraph it told me that Bill was only five feet and seven inches tall. He also just weighed 145 pounds.

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  2. The author evaluates Bill pickets exciting life by putting how his dad was in slavery. After that he had been wanting to be in rodeos after he had seen the other people that were in rodeos. So then he seen that there were people taking down cattle with a bull dog this technique was called “bulldogging.” Then he had been invited to go to the millers 101 wild west ranch. So he had then had his family move into the 101 wild west ranch. Then he went to a rodeo and used the bulldogging technique before he even moved in to the 101 wild west ranch. Thats how he was able to be invited into the 101 wild west ranch. One night when Bill was at a show there was a bull and was scared because of some reason but as soon as the bull got out of the gate it charged up the stairs while Bill was right behind the bull. Eventually the bull got wrestled down to the ground. and went back into the place that it was supposed to be at.

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  3. My evaluation so far is that that zachary can not completely meet a man’s job because of all the things a usual eleven year old can not handle. For example he had to deal with thirst in the blazing hot desert and could of died of thirst. He also could of got majorly hurt getting knocked off the mustang. He could of got killed on this adventure delivering mail to other people. This is why people back then chose orphans to do the job. In my judging I don’t think he was meant to do the job.

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  4. I think Catlin’s life as a painter was a good job. I think it was a good job for him because on page 8, the text said, “For several years, his reputation as an artist grew.” I think Catlin liked his job because he gave up law school to be an artist. I say this because on page 6 the text said, “He found desire to practice law yielding to an interest in art.” I think the author painted a picture in my mind that Catlin liked more art than he ever like law. I think this because, from what I read he quit law school just to become a artist. I think he was very interested in art while he was in law school. I think this because on page 6, the text said, “He collected pens, inks, and other materials for his art, and brought them to his law office.” I think he was a famous artist worldwide because he even made an indian gallery! During his next five years as an artist, Catlin continually kept on exhibiting his paintings and artifacts in England. He even added live shows in his gallery! I think Catlin made some excellent progress in his lifetime with what he learned in law school and being an artist.
    Your student,
    Rodrigo13m

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  5. My evaluation so far is that that zachary can not completely meet a man’s job because of all the things a usual eleven year old can not handle. For example he had to deal with thirst in the blazing hot desert and could of died of thirst. He also could of got majorly hurt getting knocked off the mustang. He could of got killed on this adventure delivering mail to other people. This is why people back then chose orphans to do the job. In my judging I don’t think he was meant to do the job.

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. Dear Mr. Moore,

    The book George Catlin Frontier Painter by Jo Pitkin was unpersuasive to me to become an artist because Jo didn’t make me feel that George Catlin was that important. Why because in our school we don’t really focus on the natives of America, but mostly on the big impacts that change our country like the Civil War. Also, the lead of the book is dull because it didn’t got any action (Even though it’s non-fiction) or dialog or even a question for me to read the book, here’s the lead: For some, the American West is like a magnet. Dull! This pretty much concludes that the author Jo (In my opinion) doesn’t really persuade me to become an artist like George Catlin. Lastly, my partner also agree with me on the first day reading this book that he doesn't feel persuade to be an artist.

    From your student,

    Randy 2m

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  8. The author really is good at writing what it means to be an artist, the author shows me at an artis life can be really difficult. The author also does a really good job of explaining how much George cared for the Natives, the author wrote that George painted portraits of the natives to help their culture be remembered in the future when there is no native americans. The author also shows how hard an artist life is, he tells how George had to travel a lot, in the book it says that George traveled to St. Louis Missouri from western Pennsylvania. George also had to travel to the Native territories to paint portrait of the famous Indian leaders, like Black Hawk. It was also hard for an artist to carry all his equipment, George had to carry his equipment on their back and carry all those paints. So the author really did do a really good job of showing how an artist job is really hard, they have to travel and carry all their equipment around where they are traveling. An artist also has to be good at what he does.

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  9. The author shows how exciting his life is by telling the reader that he could pin a bull to the ground, and he was only about 145 pounds. He also shows it because when he was about 30 years old he lost his eyesight for no reson at all. But got his eyesight after 11 moths it came back. He had 7 girls and two boys but they died at birth. He bulldog an elk. He didn’t like to do the bulldogging because it caused pain to the animal. Sometimes he tied his hands behind his back or put his arm in a sling to make the act mor challenge to do and to make the act more interesting to watch. another way he makes his life exciting to read is he made it like it was happening right in front of me. How he wrote is he makes it seem like he could die at any moment. This is why I think that the author did a very good job at narrates how exciting his life was.

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  10. Dear Mr.Moore,
    in my book (Zachary and the Pony Express)the author did a good job writing this because. after every page I see what is happening to that person like if i was them. For example,he heard a man yelled and went to see what happened and i can see a little kid doing that in real life. your student,
    Sunni

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  11. Zachary is eleven years old and he is by himself his family is back east he got a job to bringing mail to everybody around but he didn’t know he would have challenges along the way. Zachary didn’t think things straight through he was wondering if he’s going to die of thirst or starvation because, he forgot to bring clothes, water, and food all of a sudden rain starts to fall. Zachary is blinded by the rain jumping at his face, something hits him in the head then again, “hail.”Another of Zachary’s challenges is that he fell off his horse into the mush he began to give up but he fights back onto his horse. Zachary’s challenges were treacherous to him he had to go through the prairie in the hot sun for miles without water in till he got to the forest. Zachary didn’t know much were to go but his horse helped lead him to a cabin. So Zachary had challenges along the way but he fought his way through them.

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  12. The author has some good word choices. I like how the author talks a lot about his life. The author makes it a little interesting, but not that much. I like how the author mentioned what he learned. Which was called, “Bite-’ em style.” I like how the author said, “ To the cowboys’ amazement, Pickett managed to quiet the frisky calves.” I like how the author said frisky. What I did kind of like about the author was that the author included something that was a little important because Bill Pickett lost his eyesight and they probably didn’t have prescription glasses back then. I don’t know if they did or didn’t have them. The author did a better job of using word choices later on in the book. Like for example, “ He was afraid to get too close for fear that Spradley might get gored.” I thought that was a good word choice. this si my evaluation (judgment) about if the author was exciting or not.

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  13. Dear Mr. Moore,

    I think the author is doing a good job of conveying what it means to be an artist. He does good because on the first page of the book it said that by the time George Catlin was twenty-six, he wanted to study the Native Americans history. He also wanted to use his great skills as a painter to make a record of their whole way of life (their faces, rituals, and their ways of finding food and shelter).

    Your student,
    Aubree

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  14. Dear Mr. Moore
    The way the author evaluates Bill Pickett is when he became famous, the author evaluated him by giving more detail and more information about Bill Pickett like saying he was the best or he was great at the thing he does. He also gives me a picture in my head by saying that he was able to take down a grown cow straight down. By evaluating Bill Pickett the reader gets a clear image about what’s going on in Bill Pickett’s amazing life. If the author added more details about him that would be awesome , but so far he has done a great job evaluating Bill Pickett. So that’s how I think about how the author evaluated Bill Pickett and his amazing ability and gift he was given.


    Your student,
    Angel19m

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  15. 1. Can eleven-year-old Zachary do a man’s job? As you read, evaluate how Zack meets the challenge of riding for the Pony Express.

    Dear Mr. Moore,

    Zachary was riding through the middle of nothing. “Ouch!” I shouted. Whatever it was, it left my head hurting as if I’d been stung by a bee. It happened again. This time I found the thing that had done it still clinging to my drenched hair. It was a small piece of ice. Hail. It is starting to get hard. Before all that stuff it was way worse. It started raining and the horse went wild so, Zachary fell off his horse! So he started running for his horse. When he got the horse he was wet. So that was really hard. I think Zachary meets lots of challenges but, he goes through it. I also think he can do a man’s job because when he ran away he has been living in the wild and that helps too. Also because when he got to the house the lady pointed at a new horse for Zachary even though he thought his job was done but, really it was just beginning. At the end he made all his stops and did a man’s job.

    Your friend,
    Citlalli 23m

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  16. @Johnny
    Johnny what does the fact that Bill's dad was a salve. I think this is not very important and has nothing to do with Bill. I also like how you put all your ideas in the order you did.

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  17. Dear Mr.Moore and Ms. Vander Velde,

    Can eleven-year old Zachary do a man’s job? I think Zachary is capable of doing that job he got lost at first in a blazing hot desert with no food and no water I think that is cool and then he is at the cabin dropping off the mail. It started when Zachary was at the pony express and the man had to bring it to the cabin and the man would give him FIVE DOLLARS to go deliver the mail at the cabin. The stationmaster said that the horse knows the way so he hops on the horse and he gets lost and then he finally found the cabin. I think that that is a hard job for an eleven-year-old boy be doing that kind of work I think that is hard and It is a man’s work.
    Sincerely,
    Emily 10m

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  18. Dear Mr.Moore,
    This author is doing a good job of painting a picture in my mind because he explains every thing that happened extremely well, here is an example. “Though he continued his work as a portrait painter for a time, his thoughts turned to the west.” This sentence from the text is what made me see this in my mind is because he said his thoughts turned to the west which means that that he started to think more about the west than his paintings. Another thing that made me realize that this author is doing a good job on painting a picture in my mind is that
    the book said that, “The thought that their way of life might disappear without a trace filled Catlin with remorse. But ambition and desire drove him to complete the enormous goal he had set for himself. This is is really good because it paints a picture of what made him feel this way.







    From,
    Edward

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  19. @ Myles,
    I like how you added details why Zachary can't do a man's job. And I think with those details you gave me, he was totally not ready in my opinion. I think he should of not took a risk to do these type of jobs. I also thought you could add more of your thought. Did you predict Zachary was not going to be ready for these jobs?
    Your friend,
    Rodrigo13m

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  20. Dear MR. Moore,
    The author shows how Catlin became a artist and what he did as a artist. That paints a picture in my mind because he is showing that Caitlin is improved over time from when he was a kid to what he was as an adult. The author is very descriptive about Catlins life which is why he paints picture in your mind and how Catlin became famous as a painter. It also has what Catlin plan was before Catlin died which was take the indians culture and turn it into something that could be a historical thing in the future.
    From,
    Parker

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  21. @Abdiel 21m
    I like how you had put how George cared for the Indians. But is there any way you could add how he started to care for the Indians?

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  22. Dear Mr. Moore and Ms. Vander Velde
    I’m reading the book called Zachary And The Pony Express. By: Chenille Evans. The author describes what Zachary is doing. I think she did a good job because she does very well because she describes very well detailed of what Zachary is wearing how he is feeling and also how he acts towards other people. For an example the author said, “ Zachary riding through the rain and hail feeling really scared.” You can just put yourself in that position and know how he is feeling. Also for another example she said, “ Zachary is wearing black pants with holes in the knees. Also with a tore up green shirt that had a hole in the middle.
    Brittany

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  23. @Abdiel I like how you were writing that you liked the book and wrote about good things in the book
    Your fried, Leslie

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  24. Dear Azalea,I agree with you when the author is doing a good job on evaluating Bill Pickett and his exiting life. I also think Bill Picket has a gift.

    From,
    Angel19m

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  25. @Johnny5m-

    Johnny, I think you did a really good job on describing how Bill Pickett wanted to join a rodeo after seeing what other people were doing in rodeos.

    From,
    Aubree

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  26. @ Rodrigo 13m,

    I like how you put the text in your answer, but in your comments you use the words "I think" a lot for the lead words for the sentences. It gets boring hearing the same word every time other than good work though I say that the author didn't persuade me.

    From,

    Randy

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  27. To:Emily 10m

    I like how you put the "five dollar" part in bold letters to show that it was vary little money. I wonder why the pay was so low because he risking his life to send mail.

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  28. Dear Dominic
    I really like that you are trying really hard to do a good post. But, aren't you supposed to not do a summery?

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  29. @Abdiel21m I liked your paragraph because, it talked how George care for the natives and lived together. I liked that he put that they were friends and some people thought natives were cruel people that attacked everybody in their way but Abdiel put that George and natives were friends.

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  30. 1. Can eleven-year-old Zachary do a man’s job? As you read, evaluate how Zack meets the challenge of riding for the Pony Express.

    Dear Mr. Moore,

    Zachary was riding through the middle of nothing. “Ouch!” I shouted. Whatever it was, it left my head hurting as if I’d been stung by a bee. It happened again. This time I found the thing that had done it still clinging to my drenched hair. It was a small piece of ice. Hail. It is starting to get hard. Before all that stuff it was way worse. It started raining and the horse went wild so, Zachary fell off his horse! So he started running for his horse. When he got the horse he was wet. So that was really hard. I think Zachary meets lots of challenges but, he goes through it. I also think he can do a man’s job because when he ran away he has been living in the wild and that helps too. Also because when he got to the house the lady pointed at a new horse for Zachary even though he thought his job was done but, really it was just beginning. At the end he made all his stops and did a man’s job.

    Your friend,
    Citlalli 23m

    ReplyDelete
  31. 1. Can eleven-year-old Zachary do a man’s job? As you read, evaluate how Zack meets the challenge of riding for the Pony Express.

    Dear Mr. Moore,

    Zachary was riding through the middle of nothing. “Ouch!” I shouted. Whatever it was, it left my head hurting as if I’d been stung by a bee. It happened again. This time I found the thing that had done it still clinging to my drenched hair. It was a small piece of ice. Hail. It is starting to get hard. Before all that stuff it was way worse. It started raining and the horse went wild so, Zachary fell off his horse! So he started running for his horse. When he got the horse he was wet. So that was really hard. I think Zachary meets lots of challenges but, he goes through it. I also think he can do a man’s job because when he ran away he has been living in the wild and that helps too. Also because when he got to the house the lady pointed at a new horse for Zachary even though he thought his job was done but, really it was just beginning. At the end he made all his stops and did a man’s job.

    Your friend,
    Citlalli 23m

    ReplyDelete

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