My Bell Ringer Journal

Name _____________

Mentoring in the Middle

Week 1

Mentoring in the Middle

 Day 1

Name_______________________________ Date________________

1. What is the meaning of the first underlined word? What other words
helped you figure it out?

2. What is the meaning of the second underlined word? What other words
helped you figure it out?

Day 2

Name_______________________________ Date________________

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

2. What text structure is used in the passage?

 Comparing and contrasting school years to the those of the past
 Showing the problems with school years in the past and solutions today
 Demonstrating how school years have changed over time
 Describing how the school year came to be

©Mentoring in the Middle

 Day 3
Name_______________________________ Date_______________
Start your story here.

Day 4

Name_______________________________ Date________________

Write each contraction below.

1. 6.

2. 7.

3. 8.

4. 9.

5. 10.

©Mentoring in the Middle

 Day 5
Name_______________________________ Date_______________
Solve each puzzle below.

1. 6.

2. 7.

3. 8.

4. 9.

5. 10.
Week 2

©Mentoring in the Middle 6

 Day 1

Name_______________________________ Date________________

1. What is the meaning of the first underlined word? What other words
helped you figure it out?

2. What is the meaning of the second underlined word? What other words
helped you figure it out?

Day 2

Name_______________________________ Date________________

1. What text structure is used in the passage?

 Comparing and contrasting school years in the U.S. and Australia
 Showing the cause of the school year in each country and its effects
 Demonstrating how school years have changed over the years
 Providing facts and opinions about each of the school years

2. Which school year would you prefer? Explain.

7
©Mentoring in the Middle
 Day 3
Name_______________________________ Date_______________
Start your story here.

Day 4

Name_______________________________ Date________________

What is the genre? How can you tell?

8
©Mentoring in the Middle
 Day 5
Name_______________________________ Date_______________

What are the two examples of figurative language? What do they mean?

1.

2.

©Mentoring in the Middle 9

Answer Key

Mentoring in the Middle

 Day 1

Name_______________________________ Date________________

1. What is the meaning of the first underlined word? What other words
helped you figure it out?

Manicured means neatly or nicely cut. The words lovingly and that the bush
flowered every year provide clues.

2. What is the meaning of the second underlined word? What other words
helped you figure it out?

Avoided means to stay away from. The fact that he’d been stung by bees
several times before tells you he didn’t want to be near it.

Day 2

Name_______________________________ Date________________

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

The main idea is that the school year is based on farming life from years ago.

1. What text structure is used in the passage?

 Comparing and contrasting school years to the those of the past
 Showing the problems with school years in the past and solutions today
 Demonstrating how school years have changed over time
 Describing how the school year came to be

©Mentoring in the Middle

 Day 3
Name_______________________________ Date_______________
Start your story here.

Let students have fun here. I don’t put too many restrictions on it, although later
in the school year, I might have them try to write in a particular genre.

Day 4

Name_______________________________ Date________________

Write each contraction below.

1. She’s 6. Should’ve

2. He can’t 7. You’d

3. Don’t 8. They’ve

4. I’ve 9. Wouldn’t

5. We’ll 10. They’ll

©Mentoring in the Middle

 Day 5
Name_______________________________ Date_______________
Solve each puzzle below.

1. Late mate 6. Dark park

2. Quick trick 7. Moat float

3. Grape ape 8. Free tree

4. Best nest 9. Book crook

5. Frightening lightning 10. Weird beard

Week 2

©Mentoring in the Middle 14

 Day 1

Name_______________________________ Date________________

1. What is the meaning of the first underlined word? What other words
helped you figure it out?
They landed at night and had to gather their equipment before daylight, so
stow means to hide or tuck away without it being seen.

2. What is the meaning of the second underlined word? What other words
helped you figure it out?
Labored means to work hard. Clues are that snow was falling and
temperatures were dropping. The men had to go up and down icy slopes.
That sounds hard!

Day 2

Name_______________________________ Date________________

1. What text structure is used in the passage?

 Comparing and contrasting school years in the U.S. and Australia
 Showing the cause of the school year in each country and its effects
 Demonstrating how school years have changed over the years
 Providing facts and opinions about each of the school years

2. Which school year would you prefer? Explain.

Students’ responses will vary based on what they know. Anything reasonable
should be accepted. Use what’s written as a guide for what your students
need to review.

15
©Mentoring in the Middle
 Day 3
Name_______________________________ Date_______________
Start your story here.

Let your students enjoy writing or use their examples for mini-lessons.

Day 4

Name_______________________________ Date________________

What is the genre? How can you tell?

The genre is realistic fiction. The reader can tell because it talks about a show
being televised in Washington, D.C. Those are realistic things that could
happen to a student.

16
©Mentoring in the Middle
 Day 5
Name_______________________________ Date_______________
What are the two examples of figurative language? What do they mean?

1. Both are similes. The first one compares his arms to dead grapevines,
which are thin and flexible. The fact that they’re dead tells you his arms must
be tired.

2. His back felt like someone had pulled the plug out of one end and drained all
the sap out. When something is drained of all of its “juice”, it implies that he’s
feeling empty, without any energy.

©Mentoring in the Middle 17

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I am an English Language Arts and Social Studies teacher with
20 years of experience in 6th and 7th grades. My passion is
helping students learn about themselves and the world
through reading, so that they come to understand their role in
making the world a better place.
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