7th Grade Assignment: "My Reading Life"

Due: Friday April 30

For a complete description of this assignment click "read more". Check out examples of strong reading reflections here and here. Also, here, here and here. These are all reflections written by last year's graduating class, the UNMS Class of '09.



MY READING LIFE

A READING AUTOBIOGRAPHY PROJECT

7TH GRADE | UNMS | APRIL 2010

Your job today is to write a reading autobiography about yourself. I am going to give you some prompts to help you think about what you might like to write. The main goal is for you to seriously think about who you are as a reader. Below are some questions to help you get at this more deeply. Remember, too, that you should use your logs, reading journal, and any other "artifacts" as evidence to support your story.

YOU SHOULD NOT JUST ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS AS A LIST. THEY ARE HERE ONLY SO YOU HAVE A PLACE TO GET STARTED! YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO TELL AN INTERESTING STORY ABOUT YOU AS A READER.

• How are you different as a reader now (in April) then you were in September when you entered 7th grade? Why do you think this is so? What changes have you made as a reader? 

• What strategies or skills do you use to make reading more pleasurable, more interesting, and more understandable to you? Be specific.

• Which book (or books) have had the biggest impact on you and why? 

• How has reading impacted your life? (in terms of school, thoughts, ideas, perspectives, friends, etc...)

• Describe what it is like in the spaces you read (classroom, bedroom, etc...) as well as the space in your head. What do these spaces look, sound, feel like?

• What lessons, units, activities, and/or conferences have helped you as a reader? How?

• What people have impacted your life as a reader?

• Is there a moment, day, or story that would really show how you have improved or grown as a reader OR that shows you being a strong reader?

• What would you like to accomplish next in your reading life?

We will be writing first and second drafts today. I will include a picture of you with your autobiography as well as a "stats" sheet to show how many books you have read etc... When we start our blog project next month we will include this autobiography as a post. Enjoy and good luck!