Letter from Author Joseph Bruchac

On Oct 26, 2009, at 11:06 AM, Jordan, Matthew, and Camila E. wrote:

Dear Mr. Bruchac,
We are some students of the 5th grade classroom at InterAmerican Academy in Guayaquil, Ecuador. We're reading Sacajawea and we had a question. We enjoy the diary parts and the story parts at the beginning of each chapter.
We were wondering if all the diary parts are true and if so where did you get them? Are the story parts fully true? How did you get your information for the book?
Thank you,
Jordan Kreis, Matthew Intriago, and Camila Escobar
(and their teacher Sue Stevens)

Hi Jordan, Matthew and Camila,
Thanks for your e-mail. I'm glad you enjoyed
the book!
Whenever I write historical novels I always turn to
primary sources for information and attempt to be
absolutely accurate and true to those sources.
I used the Journals of Lewis and Clark as the direct source
for the diary entries in SACAJAWEA. The stories in the
sections that are Sacajawea's all come from the oral
traditions of various tribal people--such as her own
Shoshones.
I got my information by reading--not just the journals
of Lewis and Clark, but thousands of pages of writing
by others about their great expedition. I also read hundreds
of books about the American Indian nations Lewis and
Clark encountered and spoke to many different tribal
elders who shared stories and history with me.
In addition, over the course of several years in different
trips, I traveled the entire route of the lewis and Clark
journey.
And I belong to the Lewis and Clark Trail Association.

Peace,
Joe Bruchac

Open Music Class PowerPoint

Open Music Class P Point

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Slight Halloween Schedule Change

1:00-1:30 Assembly in the cafeteria (I still need presentation times from the Character Ed group and 2nd grade.)
1:30-1:45 Halloween parade.
1:45-2:15 Party in the classroom on your own.

Sitton Spelling

Sitton Spelling

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Social Studies--Encounters

We began a new unit on Encounters between Europeans and Native Americans today. We'll also be learning how they survived with so much less than we did. The Guided Reading is connected to this social studies unit. As a class we're reading Sign of the Beaver, which presents the viewpoint that the Europeans had much to learn from the Native Americans. Three guided reading groups are reading books about how the Cherokees and Navajos were shamefully relocated. One guided reading group is reading a book about Sacajawea--a Native American who led Lewis and Clark. This book shows how some people tried to have positive and honorable encounters with the native Americans or First Nation Peoples.

Guided Reading

We started a new guided reading unit today. Students created calendars for their reading in their groups. I've posted a master calendar on the sidebar so you can check reading progress.
Students should show their thinking while they read, by jotting down notes on sticky notes and putting them in their books. They can include such things as:
Clunks and how they solved them.
Questions they have.
Sentences they thought were well-written.
Connections they made while reading that helped them understand the book.

Schedule for Halloween

12:20- 12:45 Students change into costumes before the assembly
12:45- 13:30 Assembly.

13:30-13:45 Costume parade in the covered area.

13:45-2:15 Class Parties plus 5 mins for clean up.

2:20 Dismissal