Megan JonesLiterature Focus UnitDr. CozensDecember 8, 2010

On the Mayflower: Hardships Through History

1. Literature SelectionWaters, K. (1996). On the Mayflower: Voyage of the ship’s apprentice and a passenger girl. New York, NY: Scholastic.

2. ThemeThe book, On the Mayflower, by Kate Waters is a book about two individuals who have many difficulties through their journey to the Americas. The theme of this book is hardships. The story will allow student to engage in activities allowing them to discover the meaning of hardships (past and preset), which deal with a persons emotions as well. This is a topic that many of them will not study on their own.

3. Additional texts Also include other texts that are related to the theme. Include a variety of reading levels. Example: (For this LFU a variety of additional texts about tricksters is provided.)Kimmel, E.A. (1988). Anansi and the moss-covered rock. New York: Holiday HouseMcDermott, G. (1980). Papagayo: The mischief maker. New York: Scholastic, Inc.McDermott, G. (1992). Zomo the rabbit: A trickster tale from West Africa. New York: Scholastic, Inc.McDermott, G. (1993). Raven: A trickster tale from the Pacific Northwest. New York: Scholastic, Inc.McDermott, G. (1994). Coyote: A trickster tale from the American Southwest. New York: Scholastic, Inc.McDermott, G. (2001). Jabuti the tortoise: A trickster tale from the Amazon. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

4. Unit Plan—Planning Stage-Include a graphic organizer. See example below.Develop the teaching plan for the literature focus unit.

a. Read or reread the selected book or books and then think about the focus they will use for the unit.

b. Consider a focus on an element of story structure, the historical setting, wordplay, the author or genre, or a concept or topic related to the book.

c. Think about which activities they will use at each of the five stages of the reading process related to the communication arts curriculum.

Example:

5. Now for each activity include the following (you will repeat this 8 times, 2 from each writing, speaking, reading, listening (see above graphic organizer)):

a. GLEIdentify the communication arts skill and/or strategy to teach during the activity. Include the abbreviation and the written out.

b. ObjectiveIdentify what students will be expected to do. Use a performance objective. Students will be able to….

Brainstorm ideas

Brainstorm ideas

Brainstorm ideasPoem

c. ActivityDescribe the activity students will do in 2-3 sentences.

d. Technology ResourcesIdentify any technology resources related to the activity.

e. AssessmentPlan how students’ work will be assessed and make a rubric, an assignment checklist or other grading sheet.

Example:Activity: Story MappingGLE: R2C04,a-f: Use details from text to demonstrate comprehension skills previously introduced,

make inferences, compare and contrast, identify cause and effect, identify author’s purpose, identify setting, character traits, problems and solutions, and story events.

Objective: Students will be able to identify story elements by completing a story map after reading a text.

Activity: The students will create a story map. They will identify the story elements of the book including: setting, main characters, problem, and solution. The students will have an example of a story map that I have created, but they will be free to design theirs individually as long as they have the proper elements

Technology Resources: A story map will be on the SmartBoard and students will be allowed to complete the map online.

Activity assessment: Teacher observation will be used during the activity to monitor student work and responses. Students will complete a story map independently on a text and the story map will be assessed for accuracy.

1 Try a little harder 2 You're on your way

3 Terrific Job

Setting Setting is missing or inaccurate.

Setting is accurate. Setting is accurately described with juicy adjectives

Characters Characters not listed at all orsome important charactersare missing.

Main characters are listed.

All main characters are listed with names spelled correctly.

Problem Problem is missing or different from the one that is solved at the end.

I listed the problem at the end of the story.

The problem is a complete thought and it is the one that gets resolved in the story

Events Some events left out orevents are listed that are not in the story.

Main events are listed. Events are clearly described and are in the order that they happened.

Resolution Resolution missing orhas nothing to do with

Resolution is stated. The resolution is well described using

theproblem.

complete sentences.

6. GroupingsIdentify whole-class, small-group, and individual grouping patterns with the activities. Example:Whole-class

Vocabulary Story ChartRead AloudFeelings Discussion

Small-groupCreate a Problem/Solution ChartCreate a SkitDiscussion of Emotions during the story

IndividualWrite a Persuasive LetterWrite a ParagraphReflection

7. ScheduleCreate a time schedule. One week for primary and 2 weeks for upper elementary. Example:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Minilesson

on predicting Prediction

paragraphs in reading logs

Read aloud and grand conversation

Add to the Word Wall

Reading logs, three new words

Paired reading of Raven

Reading logs, “What I learned from my partner”

Minilesson on Word maps

Dramatizing words activity

Letter from Raven to Sky Chief

Minilesson on R-controlled vowels

R-controlled vowels game

Paired reading

Grand conversation on trickster tales

Choose and read another book

Reread choice book and discuss with partner

Create two story maps

Introduction to and class work on choice final project

Finish up work on choice final project

Read aloud of Anansi and the moss- covered rock

Presentation of final projects

8. Literature Focus Unit Checklist Example:

Text- Where the Wild Things Are

Required:_____1. Play onset/rime game with a friend._____2. Make a story map of any of the books-include: plot, characters, setting, problem, and solution._____3. Write a journal entry making a text to text, text to self or text to world connection._____4. Write a letter to Max.

Date completed

_____5. Draw a wild thing and then write a paragraph describing your wild thing._____6. Create a vocabulary poster for 4 vocabulary words.

Optional (Choose at least 4):______ Create a Vocabulary Game______ Complete a Character Map for one of the characters from the story.______ Create a poem about a family. Share the poem with the class.______ Draw a picture from of something you visualized while reading the text. ______ Make a chart of at least three problems you have had. Share how you solved each problem.______ Create a poster in which you try to persuade others to read the book.______ Compare and contrast Max and you. How are you alike? Different?