Reader's Notebook

POST-IT NOTETAKING SAMPLE | Rubric for Reader's Notebook

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Doris
Pages read: 5–33
Setting(s): hospital, on the road, video store, Indian reservation
Main characters: Mostly Rayona and Christine, a little bit Elgin and Aunt Ida

Reponses on Your Post-it	Elaboration on the Notes You Have T aken during the Class ( Turn Your Notes into a Paragraph)
Wow! (first-class pedigree”) p.5–6	I’m really noticing how icy Rayona’s relationship, or should I say non-relationship, is with her father. She describes him as inspecting her as if she’s some kind of show dog. And she seems to think her father only likes the things about her that come from him—like her height. Yet, I get a strange feeling that Rayona also seeks her father’s approval and is, down deep, not happy with the distance between them. I’ll be looking for more evidence of that as I keep reading.
As for me/connection R and C out of gas on road pp. 15–17	Wow, for these few pages it really seems like Christine is the kid and Rayona’s the mother. I think that sort of role-reversal happens quite a bit these days. Sometimes kids have to grow up too fast.
You are sooo… C crazy in video store. p. 20	Christine is out of her mind! First she escapes from the hospital, tries to ditch her daughter in the process, and now she’s getting all hyped about joining a video store for a 99 cent special offer… for life! She’s nuts!
p. 23 I wonder… Focus on C’s illness.	Uh-oh, I’m starting to think that Christine is actually very sick. Why else would Rayona be so intent on noticing the rattle of the pill bottle and placing so much emphasis on her talking to Charlene about medicine. And Charlene said, “You’re killing yourself” to her. This seems serious.
I’m there; I see it—Rayona in dirt; mom gone; Ida waitingp. 32	I love the deep meaning expressed in the image that I see here, of Rayona putting all her attention on the dirt right after she realizes her mother has abandoned her, ridden off in a truck with some guy, leaving Rayonaon an Indian Reservation with a woman she hardly knows. I see Rayona’s pain as she desperately tries to establish some feeling of rightness, of order in her tragic and unbelievable situation. She’s smoothing out the dirt, as if by making the ground neat and tidy, she could bring some order to her crazy, painfully chaotic life as well. Poor Rayona. There she is, all alone, trying to “fix” the dirt, trying to make the dirt turn clean. What an image to end the chapter with.

POST-IT NOTETAKING SAMPLE

Text Box: Wow! (first-class pedigree”) p.5–6 I’m really noticing how icy Rayona’s relationship, or should I say non-relationship, is with her father. She describes him as inspecting her as if she’s some kind of show dog. And she seems to think her father only likes the things about her that come from him—like her height. Yet, I get a strange feeling that Rayona also seeks her father’s approval and is, down deep, not happy with the distance between them. I’ll be looking for more evidence of that as I keep reading.

Text Box: As for me/connection R and C out of gas on road pp. 15–17
Wow, for these few pages it really seems like Christine is the kid and Rayona’s the mother. I think that sort of role-reversal happens quite a bit these days. Sometimes kids have to grow up too fast.

Text Box: You are sooo… C crazy in video store. p. 20
Christine is out of her mind! First she escapes from the hospital, tries to ditch her daughter in the process, and now she’s getting all hyped about joining a video store for a 99 cent special offer… for life! She’s nuts!

Text Box: p. 23 I wonder… Focus on C’s illness. Uh-oh, I’m starting to think that Christine is actually very sick. Why else would Rayona be so intent on noticing the rattle of the pill bottle and placing so much emphasis on her talking to Charlene about medicine. And Charlene said, “You’re killing yourself” to her. This seems serious.

Text Box: I’m there; I see it—Rayona in dirt; mom gone; Ida waitingp. 32 I love the deep meaning expressed in the image that I see here, of Rayona putting all her attention on the dirt right after she realizes her mother has abandoned her, ridden off in a truck with some guy, leaving Rayonaon an Indian Reservation with a woman she hardly knows. I see Rayona’s pain as she desperately tries to establish some feeling of rightness, of order in her tragic and unbelievable situation. She’s smoothing out the dirt, as if by making the ground neat and tidy, she could bring some order to her crazy, painfully chaotic life as well. Poor Rayona. There she is, all alone, trying to “fix” the dirt, trying to make the dirt turn clean. What an image to end the chapter with.

Reader’s Notebook Scoring Sheet

Name: ______________________________________________________ Date:________________ Grade #:_______

Reader’s Notebook Scoring Sheet

Category	Score: 5	Score: 3	Score: 1		Your Score
Organization: Did you follow the Reader’s Notebook format and procedures established in class?	All work is in proper order and laid out according to class notebook format by date and heading; IR note-taking follows proper format	Some work is out of order or presented in a confused manner that does not follow class notebook format; IR note-taking format is not always followed	Very little attention paid to class notebook format in terms of dates, headings, and order; IR note-taking format is rarely followed
Completeness: Are all notes and assignments included?	All class notes and assignments and IR assignments are included	More than half of class notes and assignments and IR assignments are included	Less than half of class notes and assignments and IR assignments are included
Quality of class notes and assignments that are not Independent Reading assignments: Are you showing that you’ve paid attention to & participated in “Do Nows” & mini-lessons?	Non-IR notes and work show careful attention to details, clear evidence of understanding, and thoughtful follow-through	Non-IR notes and work show some attention to detail, some evidence of understanding, and some thoughtful follow-through	Non-IR notes and work are carelessly included, showing little or no attention to detail, little or no evidence of understanding, and no thoughtful follow-through
Quality of Independent Reading (IR) work done in class and at home: Are you using what you’ve learned in class in your IR note-taking assignments?	IR notes demonstrate exceptionally thoughtful, active reading and show a deep understanding of both direct and indirect meaning; also show mastery of content taught in mini-lessons	IR notes demonstrate thoughtful, active reading and show an increasing understanding of both direct and indirect meaning; also show strong effort to use and master content taught in mini-lessons	IR notes show little or no evidence of thoughtful, active reading or attempt to understand the text; little or no effort made to use content taught in mini-lessons
Advice:				1 Point Extra Credit For Decorating:	Total score out of 20: