Table of Contents

Introduction- (2)

Objectives-(3)

Overview: (4-6)

Summaries: (7-8)

Bibliographical Information: (9)

Refined Cogitative Map: (10-14)

Activities: (15)

Lesson Plans: (16-22)

Favorite Lines: (23-24)

Resources and Materials: (25)

Assessment/Evaluation: (26)

1

Shel Silverstein

Name: Maureen Ginther

Title: The World of Shel Silverstein

Disciplines: Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, Science, and Technology

Grade Level: 3rd

Duration: four weeks

Description of School and Students: This lesson will be taught at P.S. 81 in a third

grade-accelerated classroom. There are twenty-nine students in this class and two

ESL students. This school is located in a middle class neighborhood.

Disciplines: Although this unit is based around English Language Arts it also touches

the topics of Science, Social Studies, Math and Technology.

Reading Level: Students that are at or above a third grade reading level.

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Objectives:

1. The Students will read The Giving Tree, and be introduced to Shel

Silverstein’s work and activate their prior knowledge of fiction.

2. The Students will then Read The Missing Piece, and compare the moral of the

story to the moral of the giving tree.

3. The students will complete the story Lafcadio, The Lion who Shot Back and

think about the writing style in comparison to the past two stories.

4. The students will read a few pieces from Shel Silversteins Falling Up poems

and reflect on Shel Silverstein’s writing style and purpose.

5. The students will read a piece from Shel Silversteins A Light in the Attic and

compare the author’s different poetry styles.

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Overview:

This Author Study is perfect for students’ to learn about an extremely

talented author that the students can learn great lessons from. Shel Silverstein has

many different writing styles that the students can learn about and he always has an

excellent moral that children can take away from his stories.

The first picture book that should be presented to the class is The Giving

Tree. This book is a great introduction to Shel Silverstein and shows the heart and

passion he places behind his writing. Traditionally, The Giving Tree is on a lower

level however the moral is fitting for more ages. The moral of this story can be

stretched through multiple disciplines. Taking the environment for granted

(Science), taking a friendship for granted is a concept that the children can connect

to in English Language Arts. This book can even be used a Social Studies concept of

manufacturing and trade. Math problems of the week can also be revolved around

The Giving Tree. For example, The Tree had twenty apples and the boy took six one

day and five the next, how many are left? The point is that it is important to choose a

book that can connect to all of the disciplines in some way, especially as

introduction to the author.

The next book that would be introduced is The Missing Piece. With this book,

students must compare and contrast the similarities and differences between The

Giving Tree and The Missing Piece. Both of the morals are focused around searching

for something more in life, and touch upon the theme of friendship. Like The Giving

Tree, this can also be stretched through numerous disciplines. The theme of

friendship can relate to English Language Arts and the different shapes that fit the

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missing piece can easily apply to Mathematics. The students will now have a

stronger feel for this authors writing style and understand how he draws in his

readers.

After understanding Shel Silversteins writing styles and drawing

comparisons, the students are ready to move on. Lafcadio, The Lion Who Shot Back

is a great story to introduce students to fables. The students have seen fables

throughout fictional stories, however they will really be able to take apart this story

and figure out the characteristics of a fable. The students will identify that animals

are given human traits and can then relate this to other fables. An example of this

would be a Tortoise and the Hair. When the children work on this they can come up

with the lesson that is learned from this fable. Aside from applying this to English

Language Arts, this is a fantastic book for Science. The students can research how

lions survive in the jungle. They should also tie in the moral of this story to the past

two as well. They can consistently continue to compare and contrast Shel

Silversteins vision.

Moving forward, students will be exposed to poetry through Falling Up. This

collection of poetry is great because it is a bunch of different styles. The students

will be able to choose whichever style they are most comfortable with and use it as

model to design their own poem. This will build their writing and expand their

original knowledge of poetry. After the students have worked with Falling Up, they

can sift through his another book of poetry, A light in the Attic. They will be able to

dig into the poetry and grasp Shel’s work. The students can pick out repeated words.

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With this, they can design a new poem using three of the words they found patterns

with. This is a great way to build up their vocabulary.

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Summaries:

The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is about a boy who grows up with a certain tree. He loves this tree very much but as he grows older, he grows greedier. He keeps taking things from the tree but gives it nothing in return. This continues on throughout his life until he reaches a ripe old age. The Giving Tree explains that it has nothing left to give. The book ends with the old man sitting on the tree stump because that is all that is left and he has no one but the tree. The moral of this story can be applied throughout multiple aspects of life but it can connect to children especially. The will be able to see the importance of friendship and how being greedy doesn’t get you far in life. The concept of greed is recurring theme on the state assessments at the third grade level.

The Missing Piece

The Missing Piece is about a rock that is searching for a missing piece. It tries out multiple different pieces but not one feels right. It spent so much time searching for it’s missing piece, that once a piece that fit it didn’t feel right. The moral of the story is there was never a missing piece to begin with, it was content being itself. The students would be able to relate to this and connect it to The Giving Tree. This will give them a greater sense of Shel Silverstein and what he tries to bring out in his writing.

Lafcadio, The Lion Who Shot Back

Lafcadio is a young lion who lives in the jungle. When the hunters came he didn’t know what to do. Unlike the other lions he was curious about the hunters. Eventually he had to end up defending himself against the hunter but he practiced his shooting until he became the greatest sharp shooter. He has a bunch of new skills and he can dress how ever he wants. The question that lies is that just because he is dressed nice, is he happy with himself? Is Lafcadio being true to himself? Like The Missing Piece the main focus is on being true to ones self. This concept is heavy for children but Shel Silverstein has a way of making them light through his books.

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Falling up

I tripped on my shoelace And I fell up to the roof tops, Up over the town, Up past the tree tops, Up over the mountains, Up where the colors Blend into the sounds. But I got me so dizzy When I looked around, I got sick to my stomach And I threw down.

This is just one example of a poem from Shel Silversteins Falling Up. He uses a bunch of funny poems in falling up that students can enjoy. Aside from just enjoying these poems the students can learn on them. There is no focal point for his poetry and that is the beauty of it. The students can look at multiple types of poetry and learn how to expand their own writing.

A Light in the Attic (Shapes)

A Square was sitting quietlyOutside his rectangular shack

When a triangle came down—Keerplunk! - - And struck him in the back.

“I must go to the hospital”Cried the wounded square,So a passing rolling circle

Picked him up and took him there.

This is a piece from A Light in the Attic. A poem like this is great for students to see. It shows different disciplines combined. This can encourage children to write their own math poem.

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Shel Silverstein

(1930-1999)

Shel Silverstein is a famous children’s author who is known for his work as a

composer, singer/songwriter, cartoonist, and poet. Shel’s full name is Sheldon Allen

Sliverstein. Surprisingly, he never planned on becoming a children’s author. He

prided himself on originality and never having any influences over his writing. His

career began as a published cartoonist in Japan and Korea. Shel Silverstein learned

how to play the guitar and helped write songs for famous artist like Johnny Cash. It

wasn’t until 1964 that a friend introduced him to a publisher. After this, The Giving

Tree was published. The Giving Tree sold over five and a half million copies. His

career kicked off and it eventually led to his poetry being published. In1974, Where

the Sidewalk Ends was published. His poetry was a hit and it led to the following of

A light in the Attic and Falling up.

Shel Silverstein had two children and always liked to have a good time. He

passed away in 1999 from a heart attack. At the time of his death he was still writing

plays, poems, songs, cartoons and stories. His work will live on forever and it

impacted millions of people throughout the world.

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English

Concept of friendshipConcept of Greed

Social Studies

Manufacturing Trade

MathMultiplication problemsWord problems

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MathGeomotryWord problems

English

Compare and contrastTheme-being true to yourself

scienceRocksEnviormental

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scienceLionsLife in the jungle

Social Studies

History of huntingTie hunting into cultures

English

Theme of HappinessConnecting to morals of past books

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writing

Creating own poemComparing different writng styles

ReadingIndependent reading

State Test Styles of wrtitng

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MathShapesWord problems

EnglishComparing writing stylesPatterns

Social studies

Relating poetry to cultureComparing past and present poetry

Activities:

1) The Wonderful Web -Explore Shel Silverstein’s wonderful website with the

class (www.shelsilverstein.com). Brimming with creative ideas and

Silverstein’s whimsical illustrations, this website has great resources for

teachers as well as entertaining activities for students to enjoy. This can be

done in the beginning of the Author Study to have students become familiar

with Shel Silverstein’s work.

2) Voluminous Vocabulary- Silverstein loves to use interesting vocabulary in

his poetry. Examples include words such as “nauseating” in “Investigating” or

“entwined” in “Stick-A-Tongue-Out Sid.” Ask the students to read a poem and

identify words whose meaning they don’t know. Ask them to guess their

meaning based on the context of the poem. Then define the words and have

students use them in a sentence or a poem of their own. This is great for

building complex vocabulary.

3) Culminating Activity- After reading Falling Up and A light in the Attic,

celebrate Shel Silverstein (Shelebrate!) by asking students to share a poem of

their own. The can bring in props to express their poem as well. These poems

can be collated into a class anthology. This would be an excellent way to

wrap up the Author Study.

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Lesson Plan: Lafcadio, the Lion who shot back

1. Purpose What is a fable?

2. Vocabulary Fable- A short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral.

3. Skills Critical thinking Comparing and Contrasting Speaking Writing

4. Objectives

Students will be able to define a fable. Student will be able to compare two fables and explain their reasoning.

5. New York State Learning Standards

Common Core Learning Standards- English Language ArtsGrade 3

Reading Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 9. Compare and contrast the themes, settings and plots of stories.

Writing Research to build and present knowledge 8. Take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories

6. Pre-AssessmentThe students will be viewing different categories of literature getting ready for state assessments. I will know they are ready for this lesson if they are able to identify what a fable is.

7. Lesson PresentationA. Set induction

I will call the students to the carpet

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I will ask the students to define the word fable in their own words I will wait for their responses and then tell them the actual definition After this I will begin to read aloud Lafcadio, The Lion who Shot Back

B. Procedure While reading Lafcadio, The Lion who Shot Back. I will stop and prompt

questions. At the end of the reading we will engage in a class discussion The discussion will cover the human like characteristics of Lafcadio, and

moral take away from the story The students will then go back to their seats and independently read The

Tortoise and the Hare fable They will then compare and contrast the Tortoise and the Hare in their

reading response notebooks

C. Closure I will call the students back to the carpet for a share I will have a class chart Venn diagram on the board Together the class will fill in the Venn diagram and compare and contrast

the similarities and differences between the two fables

8. Materials Copy of Lafcadio, The Lion who Shot Back Class sheets of Tortoise and the Hare Chart paper

9. Follow-up Activity For homework I will have the students create their own short fables and write them neatly on a sheet of loose-leaf.

10. Evaluation/AssessmentI will assess the student throughout the lesson during the model and independent work to check for comprehension. I will also grade their fable homework assignments to see if they understood the concept.

11.Differentiation Visual/ Spatial- Large chart, read aloud story Verbal/ Linguistic- Grand discussion Logical/mathematical- Using critical thinking skills for comparison Interpersonal- Students will participate in read-aloud and share Intrapersonal- Independent work at seats and homework assignment

12.Resources Common Core Learning standards Lafcadio, The Lion who Shot Back Tortoise and the Hare

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Lesson Plan: Falling up

1. Purpose Can we make a fictional poem a factual poem?

2. Vocabulary Fictional- Any form of narrative work that deal in part, or in whole with

information or events that are not factual but rather imaginary and theoretical, invented by the author.

Factual- Of or relating to facts, true (non-fiction).

3. Skills Critical thinking Examining Research Writing

4. Objectives The students will be able to change a fictional poem into a factual poem. The students must research and examine Shel Silversteins works to see

which would be poems could easily turn into factual ones.

5. New York State Learning Standards

Common Core Learning Standards- English Language Arts Grade 3

Writing Production and Distribution of Writing

4. With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose,

6. Pre- AssessmentThe students are familiar with the work of shel silverstein and his poetry. They are aware of the difference between fictional and factual.

7. Lesson PresentationA. Set Induction

The students will be called to the carpet I will write the poem Falling Up on the chalkboard or whiteboard

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B. Procedure • I will ask the students to find fictional thing in the poem Example; “I tripped on my shoelace, and I fell up.” Next, I will ask the students why isn’t this possible? (Because gravity

makes you fall down). After this, I will send the students back to their seats with copies of

the poem Falling up and look for another fictional part. Once the students discover a fictional part, they must write a

paragraph on why it isn’t fictional and which subject taught them this.

C. Closure I will call on certain students to share their examples I will collect the written paragraphs

8. Materials Copies of the poem Falling Up Loose leaf Pencils Chalk/dry erase marker

9. Follow-up Activity The next day we will look at realistic fiction poetry The students will compare and contrast the differences

10.Evaluation/AssessmentI will assess the students on their writing that I collected and comprehension throughout the lesson.

11.DifferentiatedVisual/Spatial- Poem on whiteboard or chalkboardVerbal/Linguistic-grand discussion of fictional parts of the poem and shareInterpersonal- Class discussionIntrapersonal- Listening and Independent writing

12.Resources

Falling Up Poem Common Core Learning Standards- English Language Arts

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Lesson 3- A light in the Attic (Shapes)

Purpose What shapes in the poem Shapes by Shel Silverstein relate to our

Geometry unit? What are examples of quadrilaterals? What are other examples of triangles?

1. Vocabulary Quadrilateral- A polygon with four signs or edges

2. Skills Connecting writing and mathematics Critical thinking

3. Objectives The students will be able to take Shel Silverstein’s poem as an example

and write their own poems using more advanced vocabulary The students will write a short poem more specific to the shapes we are

learning about in class

4. New York State Learning Standards Common Core Learning Standards- English Language Arts and Mathematics Grade 3

Writing Responding to Literature 11. Create and present a poem, narrative, play, art work, or personal response to a particular author or theme settled in class.

Geometry Reason with shapes and their attributes

1. Understand that shapes in different categories may share attributes and that the share attributes can define a larger category.

5. Pre- AssessmentThe students have been working on both poetry and geometry. They now have a decent insight into poetry but just began the Geometry unit and have just learned how to classify shapes into larger categories.

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6. Lesson PresentationA. Set Induction

Call students to the carpet with their reading response and math notebooks

Have the students copy the poem Shapes into their reading response notebooks

B. Procedure Ask students to turn to a partner and underline the geometry terms Have the students to work together and think of more advanced

terminology for each shape category Give the students five to seven minutes to do this Then call on students for answers Example; square- quadrilateral Next, send the students back to their tables to work with each other

on creating a poem using the more advanced geometry terms. Tell the students they can use their math notebooks as a resource Give each table chart paper and markers to do this

C. Closure Have each group present their poem to the class Collect the chart paper and display it in the classroom

7. Materials Poem Shapes from A light in the Attic Chart paper Markers Chart paper Reading response and Math notebooks

8. Follow-up Activity Play a matching game the next day of geometric shapes. Have cut outs of all the shapes and labeled terms (ex: rhombus, pentagon, quadrilateral, and sphere).

9. Evaluation/AssessmentAssess the group work and see who comprehends both content areas poetry, and geometric shapes. You can truly check the student’s mathematic understanding during the follow up activity.

10.Differentiated Visual/ Spatial – Reading poem Shapes, Charted poems Verbal/Linguistic- Communicating with partners, tables and

presentations Logical/Mathematical- Using critical thinking skills to use correct

geometric terms

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Interpersonal- Working with groups and partners

11.Resources

Poem Shapes from A light in the Attic Common Core Learning Standards in English Language Arts and

Mathematics

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Favorite Lines:

The Giving Tree: “And the boy loved the tree…very much. And the tree was happy.” I love this quote from The Giving Tree because it was before greed overwhelmed the

boy. The Giving Tree is my favorite piece of literature by Shel Silverstein. This part

of the story sticks out to me and it is a relatable quote.

The Missing Piece: “Well, maybe you want to be your own Piece?”

This is a great quote from The Missing Piece because it defines the moral of the

story. The missing piece doesn’t need to find another piece to feel whole. It is

important for students because they should always be content with themselves.

Lafcadio, The Lion who Shot Back: “And he didn’t really know where he was going, but he did know he was going somewhere, because you really have to go somewhere, don’t you?”

I chose this quote because I believe it ties in nicely to the theme of the story.

Lafcadio, doesn’t know who he is yet and he is searching for something. This can be

tied into characters from The Missing Piece and Giving Tree.

Falling Up: “I tripped on my shoelace And I fell up”

This quote is the attention grabber and it really draws the reader in. It is clever

because when you trip you don’t fall up; the reader wants to continue on with the

poem after this.

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Shapes from A light in the Attic: “So a Passing rolling circle Picked him up and took him there”.

I loved these two lines from the Poem Shapes. I thought it was clever because it

flows nice and smooth. If read fast, a student may not pick up on the fact that shapes

don’t roll.

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Resources:

http://www.shelsilverstein.com/indexsite.html Falling Up A light in the Attic Lafcadio, The Lion Who Shot Back The Missing Piece The Giving Tree

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Assessment/ Evaluation:

Throughout the Author Study there will be various forms of assessment. I will be

grading independent work, group work, homework and consistently check for

comprehension and growth. I want to watch the children connect themes that are

intertwined throughout all of works we discussed. I want this Author Study to

inspire the students to dig into their creative side. They can see the accomplishment

of just one man. One day, this could be any of the. The true assessment will come

from the culminating activity. The students worked hard and it is important that

they express their own creativity. Once they share their poems with their

classmates, it will enhance their speaking and listening skills. The students will also

grow and learn from each other during this activity. It will be clear to see which

students took the assignment seriously and understood the point of the entire

Author Study.

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