Brown Girl Dreaming

Brown Girl Dreaming

Written by Jacqueline Woodson

Nancy Paulsen Books 2014

Awards: National Book Award for Young People’s Literature (2014), Newbery Honor (2015), Sibert Honor (2015), Coretta Scott King Award for Author (2015), Claudia Lewis Award for Older Readers (2015)

Summary:

Jacqueline Woodson shares her memories of what it was like growing up in both the North and the South during the Civil Rights era. Brown Girl Dreaming is a unique collection of poems that portrays a young girls view of different movements and activists, along with the story of her life and family. She sometimes compares herself to her other siblings because she hasn’t yet found who she really is. After awhile, Jacqueline finds her outlet and is able to find her voice through writing.

Moving. Innocent. Historical. Family. Patience.

Grade Level: 5-9

Lexile Measure: 990

Description: Nonfiction, Autobiography

Suggested Delivery: Independent

Key Vocabulary:

·      Emancipate- to set somebody free

·      Overcome- conquer an obstacle

·      Injustice- unfair

·      Generation- all of the people born and living at the same time

·      Switch- thick rod or cane; beating

·      Eternity vs. Infinite

Electronic Resources:

http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com

This link will bring you to Jacqueline Woodson’s own website where you can read more about her and see other books she has written. There are even separate sections for readers, teachers, and caregivers.

http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/woodson

This is a video interview with Jacqueline. She talks about her writing and where she gets her ideas. “Ideas are in the air.”

Teaching Suggestions:

This page from Read Write Thing gives a great lesson on exploring perspectives using Brown Girl Dreaming.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/exploring-perspectives-desegregation-using-31133.html

Before: Discuss the Civil Rights Era and important figures in it. Jacqueline Woodson uses many names and events and students should either be reminded or taught about this era before starting the book. This way they can make the connections easier throughout the reading.

During: Students can create a timeline of important events as they read through the book. The timeline can include anything that the student feel is important to Jacqueline’s story or any big events/changes in the book.

After: Students can each individually complete an exit slip explaining their thoughts about the book. They can describe things they liked, didn’t, like, didn’t agree with, or anything else they want to talk about. Specific questions can be given to the students to answer. For example, why do you think Jacqueline Woodson wrote this book as a collection of poems instead of just a story? Students should also be encouraged to ask any questions that they want to discuss or add thoughts and comments.

Writing Activity: Students can write their own poem about where they came from and who they are today. The poem should describe a piece of the student and can use descriptive and figurative language.

Funny Bones

Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras

Written By Duncan Tonatiuh

Illustrations by Duncan Tonatiuh

Published by Harry N. Abrams 2015

Awards: Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

Summary:

José Guadalupe Posada’s story is illustrated seamlessly in this nonfiction picture book. The artist’s styles are explained in step-by-step details, and you can see how he came to the creation of the famous Calaveras, or skeletons. This book also describes Lupe’s political cartoons and his history in Mexico. El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is growing and become more popular, and this text does a wonderful job of explaining the holiday, culture, and art.

Intriguing. Informative. Colorful. Fun. Artistic.

Grade Level: 3-5

Interest Level: 3

Lexile Measure: N/A

Description: Nonfiction, Spanish and English Language

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud

Key Vocabulary:

·      Calaveras- skeleton, human bones

·      El Día de Muertos- The Day of the Dead; Mexican holiday to celebrate their loved ones that have passed away

·      Mexican Revolution 1910

·      Art techniques: Lithography, Engraving, Etching

Electronic Resources:

http://www.mexicansugarskull.com/support/dodhistory.html

This website give more information about the Day of the Dead and it’s traditions.

http://www.hellokids.com/c_22968/coloring-pages/holidays-coloring-pages/mexican-day-of-the-dead-coloring-pages/mexican-decorated-skulls

This webpage includes many different Day of the Dead coloring pages that can be printed out or even colored online. It is easy to use and has many options.

Teaching Suggestions:

http://vanderbilt.edu/clas/curriculum-resources/media/Final%20Funny%20Bones%20Educator%20Guide.pdf

This link above gives great information about the author and the book along with premade lesson plans.

Before: This book contains a great author’s note, index, and glossary in the back matter of the book. A mini lesson on how to use an index and glossary before hand will help students during the reading.

During: While reading there will be some complex vocabulary for some students to understand. Stop at the vocabulary words and ask students to use context clues to help define the word. After a couple students share their ideas, go to the glossary in the back of the book and model for the class how to look up the words in the glossary. Read the dictionary definition and then go back and reread the section of the book that the vocabulary word was in.

After: Students can try using some of the new art techniques that were discussed in the book using the step by step guides, or create sugar skulls to represent someone they love.

Writing Activity: Using the pages that ask the questions “Was Don Lupe saying that…” students can respond to the questions on what they think Lupe was trying to teach everyone. These questions in the book are very relatable to everyone in some type of way and can teach students important morals.

The Westing Game

The Westing Game

Written By Ellen Raskin

Published by Puffin Books 1978

Awards: Newbery Medal Winner, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award

Summary:

Weird things start to happen in town after the death of Samuel W. Westing. His will is read to sixteen chosen people, and it states that, whoever can solve the case and find out his murderer, will win $200 million dollars! Everyone is eager to gather their clues and solve the case, but bad weather and random bombs mix things up a bit. The Westing Game is a suspenseful mystery full of twists and turns that also allows the reader to play along too. Can you solve the mystery?

Thrilling. Mysterious. Surprising. 

Thought-provoking. Unexpected.

Grade Level: 5-7

Interest Level: 5.7

Lexile Measure: 750L

Description: Fiction, Mystery

Suggested Delivery: Individual or whole class

Key Vocabulary:

·      Tenant- someone who pays rent to use property own by someone else

·      Corpse- a dead body

·      Immigrant- a person who comes to a country in order to settle there

·      Coroner- person who investigates murders

·      Incriminate- suggest that someone is guilty

·      Heir- a person entitled by law to inherit the estate of another

·      Condemn- pronounce a sentence on in a court of law

·      Obituary- a notice of someone’s death

Electronic Resources:

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3131375897

This link is the movie trailer for “Get A Clue” (inspired by the book).

http://www.shmoop.com/westing-game/characters.html

Each character is described individually on this page. The characters can get easily mixed up in the book so this can help students to make a web or organizer.

Teaching Suggestions:

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/westing-game-extension-activity

Scholastic provides three extension activities to do after reading the book.

Before: Students should be exposed to background of the novel and the author before completing the anticipation guide. Once the guide is filled out, a small group or whole class discussion about the questions should take place. This activity is meant to grow excitement and build student interest.

http://novelinks.org/uploads/Novels/TheWestingGame/378%20-%20Anticipation%20Guide.pdf

During: While reading students can use a graphic organizer to arrange the character connections as they keep appearing. Also below there is an info-graphic that I made that puts all of the clues in one spot. Before the students read about solving the clue, they can use this and their notes to try and solve the mystery their selves before hand.

After: When finished with the book, students can choose any character they would like and create a “wanted” poster for that person. The poster should contain facts about the character, a description, and all other useful details that the class should know. Then the students can draw what they think the character from the book looks like onto their poster.

Writing Activity: Students can write their own mystery story that includes all of the components a mystery has. They will incorporate a victim, suspects, clues, etc. The students should organize their ideas and really make their readers have to think to solve the case.

The Invention Of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Written By Brian Selznick

Illustrations by Brian Selznick

Published by Scholastic 2007

Awards: 2008 Caldecott Medal, National Book Award Finalist

Summary:

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is an exciting story of a boy named Hugo and his quest to find the hidden message from his father through a mechanical man. Living in the walls of a Paris train station and surviving off of stolen goods, Hugo manages to fix the machine and unveil details about the past. Along the way, Hugo meets new friends and continues to find clues about the meaning behind the message. This novel is beautifully illustrated and written, and Brian Selznick describes it best as watching a “silent movie.” Readers are able to follow Hugo through pictures and drawing on his journey to find answers.

Exciting. Heartwarming. Beautiful. Mysterious. Intricate.

Grade Level: 3-7

Interest Level: 5

Lexile Measure: 820L

Description: Fiction

Suggested Delivery: Independent

Key Vocabulary:

·      Automaton- a mechanism that can move independently

·      Invention- something that was created by and individual

·      Scavenge- collect discarded or refused material

·      Decrepit- worn and broken down

·      Intricate- having many complex parts; elaborate

·      Makeshift- done or made using whatever is available

Electronic Resources:

http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/index.htm

This is an interactive website that gives more information about Brian Selznick and the novel. Students can click on hidden links on the book cover to explore and find more information about the book.

http://www.scholastic.com/hugocabret/

Scholastic provides a great webpage that gives readers their own notebook, and allows them to search Hugo’s bedroom to learn and create more. This website brings many details about the book to life, and is fun and easy to use.

Teaching Suggestions: The link below is filled with lesson plans and extended information about the book.

http://librarysparks.com/pdf/librarysparks/2008/lsp_nov08_LL_hugo_cabret.pdf

Before: The vocabulary in this novel is slightly complex so discussing the key vocabulary words, such as automaton, before reading will help the students better with comprehension during reading.

During: Having a fishbowl discussion with the entire class while reading the book will help students discuss what they have read. During this activity students will work on speaking and listening, along with using proper academic language to respond in the discussion. This benefits the whole class because each person gets a chance to share their ideas and to feed off of each other.

After: The class can research together the real Georges Méliès and learn more about him and some of his work that was mention in the book, such as A Trip to the Moon.

Writing Activity: Pretend you were Brian Selznick. What message would you have made the automaton write to Hugo? Who would it be from? What would it mean? Why?