Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot by Sy Montegomery
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Copyright: 2010

Citation: Montgomery, S., & Bishop, N. (2010). Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Literary Awards, Honors, and/or Nominations

1. 2011 Robert F. Sibert Medal Award: Winner
2. 2012 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award: Nominee

Reading Level:
Grade Level Equivalent: 7.4
Lexile: 950L
DRA: 60
Guided Reading: W

-Original description of the book
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot is about the endangered Kakapo parrot in New Zealand and the mission of a fourteen person team to save the last of these rare birds. The story continues with the team taking turns watching over different Kakapo parrots and their chicks. This books shows the joy of learning that the endangered parrot is growing in number, and there is hope for the future of the species. Sy Montgomery does a fantastic job writing this book because it keeps the reader interested in the journal-like entries, and also includes extra facts alongside the pages, such as New Zealand’s isolation and relevant events that are added in like “A Night with Sirocco”. Nic Bishop uses extremely close-up and detailed pictures with captions about the people, animals, and what is occurring in the photos and places these photos in a strategic way that keeps the reader’s attention. This is such a great book for students to read because it is unlike the typical nonfiction and informational texts that they read.

-Corresponding Common Core State Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.3: Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.5: Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.


-Suggested delivery
1) Read Aloud
2) Independent read

-2 electronic resources
1) Kakapo Resources
2) Sy Montgomery interviews

-3 teaching suggestions for grades 4-6
1) This book is perfectly written to encourage students to research endangered species in groups. Animals are becoming endangered sooner than expected, and it could hurt our planet and our ecosystems. Students can pick an animal and research information about them (i.e. What do they eat?, Where do they live?, Can we save them? If so how?, etc.). Students may work in pairs and present their findings to the class. Teachers can us the Scholastic Endangered animals: Student Research Unit plan which teaches three lessons about endangered animals and extinction, use New Zealand resources if students require them, use these ideas for an endangered species project, or use the BrainPOP Jr. Extinct and endangered species video/lesson to motivate students about endangered species.

2) Teaches can also use this story to teach students about Kakapo parrots. The Kakapo parrots are a rare breed of parrots that students will find interesting. People have kept them as pets, their feathers smell like honey, and can live to be at least 70 years old. Here are some broad Parrot facts that students can use along with Kakapo parrot facts. If desired, students can learn about conserving the Kakapo as well.

3) This books also provides the opportunity to have students compare and contrast the Kakapo parrot to other parrots. Using the fact hyperlinks above, students can use this parrot species comparison chart and write the differences between the two.

-Key vocabulary
1) Kakapo: the rarest and heaviest parrot in the world
2) Perverse: turned away from or rejecting what is good, right, normal, etc.
3) Infrared: producing or using rays pf light that can’t be seen
4) Downy: covered in small, soft feathers
5) Extinction: the process of becoming extinct; a coming to an end or dying out: the extinction of a species.
6) Breed: to produce (offspring); procreate; reproduce
7) Maori: the original people living in New Zealand
8) Superlative: surpassing all others
9) Predator: an animal that lives by killing and eating other animals
10) Raptor: a bird (such as an eagle or hawk) that kills and eats other animals for food
11) Airborne: in the air; moving or being carried through the air

-An inferential comprehension writing activity
Students will write two letters-one to Sy Montgomery and another to the Kakapo Recovery organization. In the letter to Sy, the students must include their thoughts, reactions, and/or feelings about the endangered species, what they thought about her book, and how or if they would like to help save these animals. In the letter to the Kakapo Recovery organization, the students must write an opinionated letter that discusses saving the endangered species and what they can do to create an awareness program and alert other about the Kakapo parrots.

-Before Reading Comprehension Activity: Students will use prior knowledge and background experiences to connect the author's writing with a personal picture. The teacher will begin to read Kakapo Rescue, share with the students the image that was created in their mind, and then discuss about the words that helped build that specific picture. Then, talk with the students about how making mental images can help them understand what’s happening in the story. Continue to read the story and then after a descriptive passage, ask a few students to describe what their picture looks like, feels like, smells like, etc. and which words helped them make their mental picture. When pictures differ, talk about why that could be.

-During Reading Comprehension Activity: Students can use the Kakapo Rescue vocabulary web chart to map out what the definition is, synonyms, antonyms, and more. When students come across a word that they don’t know, they can use this web to understand the word and use it in different way.

-After Reading Comprehension Activity: Teachers can give the students this Kakapo Rescue discussion guide and students could use it as they are reading through this book. It provides a chart of the different Kakapo parrots mentioned in the book, different facts about the Kakapo parrot, inferring what changed their population, the food chain, and more.

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
Publisher: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children
Copyright: 2008

Citation: Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship: The story of Negro League baseball. New York, NY: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children.

Literary Awards, Honors, and/or Nominations

1. 2009 Robert F. Sibert Medal Award: Winner
2. 2009 Coretta Scott King Award: Winner
3. 2009 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work- Children's: Nominee
4. 2009 Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrators: Nominee

Reading Level:
Grade Level Equivalent: 5
Lexile: 900L
DRA: 60
Guided Reading: W

-Original description of the book
Kadir Nelson’s book describes the story of gifted African American athletes, racial discrimination and international sportsmanship, triumphs and defeats on and off the field, and more about the Negro Leagues. He focuses on how these players overcame segregation, prejudice, and unfair pay just to play baseball. The book starts in the 1920s and includes when Jackie Robinson joined the Major leagues in 1947. When you read this book, the voice is so well written that you feel as if you are in that time period. Kadir’s oil painted illustrations are phenomenal and show the most incredible details.

-Corresponding Common Core State Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.9: Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. (Activity that addresses the standard: After Reading Comprehension Activity)

-Suggested delivery
1) Independent read
2) Read aloud

-2 electronic resources
1) We Are The Ship website
2) Kadir Nelson Read Alouds and Interviews

-3 teaching suggestions for grades 4-6
1) Kadri Nelson describes the hardships and triumphs that African American baseball players had to go through in order to play this favorite American pastime. We are the Ship is just one of many books that can be used to teach students of all ages about segregation and integration. Students should learn about segregation and integration of not just African Americans, but also Native Americans and other ethnicities because it plays a large role as the history of the United States. Here are some links that can help with teaching segregation in an elementary classroom, creating a classroom segregation experience, and an example of a segregation lesson plan.

2) This book also includes a lot about the history of baseball, and how it progresses over the years. Students can research more about how baseball started (where, when, what was used, etc.) and how it has changed to fit today’s expectations. Where there originally nine innings or the seventh inning stretch? Who decided that mascots were needed? Students and teachers can find more information by looking at the online Negro league baseball museum, baseball history, math games, biographies and lesson plans, and looking at a variety of baseball history lesson plans.

3) We are the Ship also shows how African Americans dealt with the prejudice white Americans showed them. Being tolerant towards peoples’ beliefs, whether they are just or not, has helped African Americans prove themselves as higher than what they were being stereotyped for. Teaching students about the tolerance that they showed and teaching them about how being tolerant can be beneficial in the real world can make a difference. I have provided some resources that can help teaching prejudice in America, provides a variety of grade appropriate activities and Black History Month lessons and activities, and Diversity lesson plans and activities for an elementary classroom.

-Key vocabulary
1) Wit: mental ability
2) Prohibit: command against
3) Migration: the movement of persons from one locality to another
4) Dignity: the quality of being worthy of respect
5) Unsavory: morally offensive
6) Inexplicable: unable for being explained
7) Segregation: a social system with separate facilities for minority groups
8) Integration: incorporating a racial or religious group into a community
9) Mediocre: moderate to inferior in quality
10) Thrive: make steady progress
11) Epithet: an offensive or abusive word or phrase
12) Debut: the act of starting something new

-An inferential comprehension writing activity

After reading the excerpt below from We Are the Ship, do you agree or disagree that the Negro League players were treated fairly? State your opinion, and explain the reasons for your opinion. Use evidence from the text to support your answer. Students will need to: introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose; provide reasons that are supported by facts and details; link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition); and provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

"Most of the owners didn’t make much money from their teams. Baseball was just a hobby for them, a way to make their illegal money look good. To save money, each team would only carry fifteen or sixteen players. The major league teams each carried about twenty-five. Average salary for each player started at roughly $125 per month back in ‘34, and went up to $500–$800 during the forties, though there were some who made much more than that, like Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. The average major league player’s salary back then was $7,000 per month. We also got around fifty cents to a dollar per day for food allowance. Back then you could get a decent meal for about twenty-five cents to seventy-five cents.  Some of the owners didn’t treat their players very well. Didn’t pay them enough or on time. That’s why we would jump from team to team. Other owners would offer us more money, and we would leave our teams and go play for them. We were some of the first unrestricted free agents.  There were, however, a few owners who did know how to treat their ballplayers. Cum Posey was one of them. He always took care of his ballplayers, put them in the best hotels, and paid them well and on time. Buck Leonard said Posey never missed a payday in the seventeen years he played for the Grays."

-Before Reading Comprehension Activity: The teacher will model how to do a think-aloud and encourage students to join in the think aloud. Write down or mark the page where new vocabulary words or unusual sentences appear. Create opportunities where students can practice doing a think-aloud and give feedback on how students can better their own think-aloud. Engage students with questions such as:
   -What do I know about this topic?
   -What do I think I will learn about this topic?
   -Do I understand what I just read?
   -Do I have a clear picture in my head about this information?
   -What more can I do to understand this?
   -What were the most important points in this reading?
   -What new information did I learn?
   -How does it fit in with what I already know?

-During Reading Comprehension Activity: As they are reading, students can chose to create a character map, visual vocabulary definitions, different point of views, examples of integration or segregation to support their reading. Here are some We are the Ship storyboard examples that can be used to show students how their own storyboard could look like.

-After Reading Comprehension Activity: Once students are done reading We are the Ship, they will pair up to create a presentation that focuses on what they learned from this book. The presentation could be a slide show, timeline, essay, etc. as long as the students include the major events that occurred. Students should also use other resources, such as newspaper articles or books, to look up more information about the time period.

The Grimm Legacy

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Schulman
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2010

Citation: Shulman, P. (2010). The Grimm Legacy. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Literary Awards, Honors, and/or Nominations

1. 2011 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature: Nominee
2. 2012 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award: Nominee

Reading Level:
Grade Level Equivalent: 4
Lexile: 600L
DRA: 60
Guided Reading: X

-Original description of the book
Polly Shulman does an incredible job with making the Grimm stories come alive in this book. She uses an abundant amount of descriptive details that brings out the uniqueness of each character and has added plot twists that will keep readers at the edge of their seat trying to solve this amazing mystery.

-Corresponding Common Core State Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.7: Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text. (Activity that addresses the standard: After Reading Comprehension activity)

-Suggested delivery
1) Independent Read

-2 electronic resources
1) The Grimm Legacy book trailer
2) The following online student interactive permits students to create their own fractured fairy tale and also gives examples and themes for different stories.

-3 teaching suggestions for grades 4-6
1) Students can be taught how to write their own realistic fiction stories. There are certain elements in this book that are similar to how fairy tales are written, and then there are also realistic places that are used as the setting. Students can take these elements and create their own unique realistic fairy tale. Listed below are a few online resources that can be used to teach students how to write their own realistic fiction story: How to build a story around a fairy tale, Example of writing realistic fiction lesson plan, Realistic Fiction Graphic Organizers, elements of realistic fiction video.

2) After reading The Grimm Legacy, students can take what they learned from reading the book and learn about how to write narratives. The following hyperlinks can be used to scaffold students’ writing skills and become better narrative writers: Narrative writing prompts, Prompts for narrative and personal writing, Writing realistic dialogue.

3) Teachers can also use this book as part of a novel study. This will give students an opportunity to learn how a novel study works and use them to move on to a larger literature concept. These are a few websites that will help students understand what a novel study is and different novels that can be used with it: Free Novel Study Units, Teaching Novels with the Common Core, and Various novel study guides.

-Key vocabulary
1) Repository: a place, building, or receptacle where things are or may be stored
2) Pneumatic: containing or operated by air or gas under pressure
3) League: three miles on land; 3.452 miles at sea
4) Circulate: pass or cause to pass from place to place or person to person
5) Kuduo: ancient vase that is often thought to be religious or spiritual
6) Conduit: a person or organization that acts as a channel for the transmission of something

-An inferential comprehension writing activity
Students will pick at least three of the following prompts to answer in their writing journal as they read The Grimm Legacy. Since these questions are about different parts of the book, students will be turning in their journals at different times.
   -Elizabeth’s father does not seem to pay much attention to her. Why? What would you say to him? What could you say in his defense?
   -How do Elizabeth, Marc, Aaron, and Anjali honor and respect their parents?
   -If you could borrow an item from the Grimm Collection, what would you want? Why? What would you leave as a deposit? How would this affect your daily life?
   -What is your favorite fairy tale? (NOTE: You may wish to reread some Grimm’s fairy tales or other fairy tale collections. Avoid the Disney and other animated versions; they take extreme liberties with the stories and often do not stay true to the original version.)
   -Because the main characters do not know whom to trust, they find it difficult to work together to find the thief. Why do we sometimes find it difficult to work together? What are some advantages of working together?
   -Elizabeth has strong memories of her mother and their shared love of fairy tales. What memories do you have of an activity shared with a parent or grandparent?

-Before Reading Comprehension Activity: To see what students already know, using a concept map can help see what students know about the topic. The vocabulary can be introduced and students can sort these into different categories based on their meaning. The categories can be defined by the teacher or by the students. When used before reading, concept sorts provide an opportunity for a teacher to see what his or her students already know about the given content. When used after reading, teachers can assess their students' understanding of the concepts presented.

-During Reading Comprehension Activity: Students can use this Flip book online interactive as their personalized question and answer flip book. Students can write down their questions from the chapters read, and then write down the answer and their reflection.

-After Reading Comprehension Activity: Students will be sorted into five groups and will be required to create a board game that is relevant to the chapters assigned to them (each group will be assigned at least five consecutive chapters). The board game needs to be based on the events and characters in the book, and give other students the opportunity to learn what happened in each of the chapters. The board game must include a game board, a rule sheet and clear directions, major events and characters from the story.

George

George by Alex Gino
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Copyright: 2015

Citation: Gino, A. (2015). George. Scholastic Press.

Literary Awards, Honors, and/or Nominations

1. 2015 Goodreads Choice Awards Best Middle Grade and Children's: Nominee

Reading Level:
Grade Level Equivalent: 6
Lexile: 790L
DRA: 60
Guided Reading: X

-Original description of the book
Alex Gino does a phenomenal job writing about the problems that transgender children struggle with on a daily basis. Yet while this book talks about a serious matter, Alex Gino goes about this matter in an engaging and funny way by making the reader become an ally to George.

-Corresponding Common Core State Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3: Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

-Suggested delivery
1) Independent Read
2) Read Aloud

-2 electronic resources
1) Alex Gino Interview
2) Alex Gino talks about Wonder and more

-3 teaching suggestions for grades 4-6
1) George introduces the LGBT issues that face many people throughout our community. Bringing up these conversations aren’t very common in a classroom, but it could work with older students. However, it is important that the students understand that people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transsexual are a community and a group of people who can relate and support one another. It is also important for students to understand that talking about this topic can keep people safe. Some websites that describe how to discuss this topic are: Edutopia, Lifeway, Teaching Tolerance, and Human Rights Campaign.

2) George also brings up the problem that students have with bullies. It is important to talk to students and have them understand what bullying is. Knowing what bullying is can help students because they will know what to look for if they know someone who is being bullied or how they can help someone who is being bullied. By discussing this topic, students may feel more comfortable talking with their parents or someone they trust about any problems they might be having at school. There are some really well written websites that clearly state what bullying is, how to prevent and stop it. I have listed three websites that do this: Stop Bullying Homepage, How to talk about bullying, Parental Information.

3) This book largely focuses on friendship. Students who are part of the LGBT community and are going through hardships struggle finding a steady support system. By teaching students about the skills and choices they can make to be a good friend can give these students a support system in and out of school. Here are a few online resources that describe how students can do this: Being a good friend, learning positive friendship skills, Friendship activities.

-Key vocabulary
1) Transgender: denoting or relating to a person whose self-identity does not conform unambiguously to conventional notions of male or female gender
2) Melancholy: a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause
3) Incredulously: unwilling or unable to believe something
4) Transitioning: the process of changing one's gender presentation permanently to accord with one's internal sense of one's gender
5) Ebullience: the quality of being cheerful and full of energy
6) Indignant: feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment
7) Sesquipedalian: characterized by long words; polysyllabic

-An inferential comprehension writing activity
Have students create a character diary and have them write in it once a major event occurs to their character of choice. Students must keep in mind that their character’s thoughts and emotions are needed for a well-written diary entry. Students will write about the event and mark down where it occurs in the book (What chapter or page(s) does the event(s) happen on?).

-Before Reading Comprehension Activity: Students will engage in a first line reading activity. The first line of George will be read and the students must make predictions about what the book is about and what might happen in the book. Here is a brief explanation about the activity and how to use first lines.

-During Reading Comprehension Activity: Have the students pick chapters randomly and have them create a synopsis of what happened in their specific chapter(s). Students will present their chapters, in numerical order, to the class once they are finished.

-After Reading Comprehension Activity: The students will create a collage or poster that consist of pictures, 3-D items, and/or self-made items that are related to the book. The students will have to write at least two sentences about what that item is and how it is related or significant to the book or main character.

Serafina's Promise

Serafina’s Promise by Ann E. Burg
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Copyright: 2013

Citation: Burg, A. E. (2013). Serafina's promise: A novel in verse. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Literary Awards, Honors, and/or Nominations

1. Fall 2013 Parent's Choice Gold Award
2. NAACP Image Award: Nominee
3. 2014 ALA Notable Children's Book

Reading Level:
Grade Level Equivalent: 5
Lexile Measure: 590L
DRA: 40
Guided Reading: S

-Original description of the book
Ann Burg tells this amazing realistic fiction book in verse, which I believe can help pique the interests of students who don’t like reading as much. The way that Ann splits this book into three different parts is a great way to show the different hardships Serafina had to overcome and each section showed the reader how much she has grown in such a short time. Serafina’s Promise also has great analogies and metaphors that would help the students relate to the feeling, and even the situation. This book also helps give students a view of what is happening in other countries and cultures and how different they are to ours. It helps students gain a multi-cultural perspective. Ann also uses at least three different languages in the book that shows students that in some countries people have to learn at least 2-3 different languages to be social in that country. In this book, Ann uses English, Creole and French and at the end of the book she gives us the Haitian Creole Alphabet and Pronunciation Guide along with a Glossary of Foreign Phrases that she uses throughout the book. This was a good thing to add in because a lot of students who will read this may not know how to say these words and will be able to help them say the words the right way

-Corresponding Common Core State Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. (Activity that addresses the standard: After Reading Comprehension Activity)

-Suggested delivery
1) Read Aloud
2) Independent Read

-2 electronic resources
1) Earthquakes
2) Compassion Kids Magazine

-3 teaching suggestions for grades 4-6
1) One way to use Serafina’s Promise to the class is to teach about homelessness and poverty. Be compassionate about it and try to answer as many questions as you can without making other students uncomfortable.

2) Another way you can use this book in the classroom is to teach about different cultures and their values/languages. Students this young might not be able to see beyond their own four walls and teaching them about different cultures and perspectives will help them become more accepting to diversity and understanding of the different cultural values.

3) A third way that Serafina’s Promise can be used in the class is to stress the importance of determination and perseverance that occurs in this book. Serafina wanted to go to school to become a doctor and had to work very hard to get her wish. This will help young students understand that if they want something, they will have to work for and the reward will be much more satisfying when the students know that all of their hard work paid off.

-Key vocabulary
1) Ravine: a deep narrow gorge with steep sides
2) Chamber pots: pots that were used as toilets at night in the Victorian times
3) Tonton Macoutes: created in 1959 by dictator Francois ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier because he believed that the actual Haitian military was a threat to his power
4) Poverty: the condition of having little to no goods, money or support; a condition of being poor
5) Amaranth: an imaginary, undying flower
6) Perseverance: constant persistence in doing something that has a purpose regardless of any difficulties, obstacles or discouragement

-An inferential comprehension writing activity
In order to check if the students are using their inferential comprehension, have the students write their own story in verse, not necessarily as long, but have them write about something they went through in life that caused them to persevere in hard times. If students haven’t had that opportunity, encourage the students to think of someone they know who has gone through a hard time and persevered through it. This might be a parent, friend, grandparent, aunt or anyone who the student sees and has some type of relationship with.

-Before Reading Comprehension Activity: Ask students what they think the book is about based on the title, cover, and front matter. Have students write down their predictions on a piece of paper, which will be used as their hypothesis for their book report.

-During Reading Comprehension Activity: While the students are reading, have the students take notes on the events that happen throughout the book. They will use this as cited information for their book reports and how it relates to their hypothesis.

-After Reading Comprehension Activity: Once the students finish the book, they will write a summary of the book in their own words using their predictions on what will happen and the information they got from the book. This will show the teacher who fully comprehends the book and who are still struggling with the concepts of the book.

Out of my Mind

Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper
Publisher: New York: Atheneum for Young Readers
Copyright: 2010

Citation: Draper, S. M. (2010). Out of my mind. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Literary Awards, Honors, and or Nominations

1. 2011 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work- Youth/Teens: Nominee
2. 2010 Goodreads Choice Awards Best Middle Grade & Children's: Nominee

Reading Level:
Lexile: 700L
Guided Reading: S
GLE: 4.3
DRA: 40

-Original description of the book
This book is a true eye opener that describes the challenges that students who have disabilities and are extremely gifted have to go through on a daily basis. Sharon Draper wrote this book and filled it with many different emotions that I felt as I read. Her point of view is also interesting because she writes this book through the eyes of Melody, the main character. This book will also help students understand what students with disabilities want in terms of being in school and treated differently. Out of my Mind is also a great book to show students that no matter how many times you are let down, you should always get up and try again and to be the bigger person in difficult situations. 

-Corresponding Common Core State Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. (Activity that addresses the standard: After Reading Comprehension Activity)
-Suggested delivery
1) Read Aloud
2) Small Group Reading

-2 electronic resources
1) A Character Education Novel Unit
2) Go to Kids Health-Cerebral Palsy and then discuss with students about cerebral palsy. This website can be projected onto the screen and students can ask questions on things that they might not understand about this disability

-3 teaching suggestions for grades 4-6
1) One way teachers can use this book in the classroom is to help students understand the different challenges that people may face during their life and overcoming obstacles. Students will most likely have to face different challenged in their life but the severity of those challenged will vary depending on their life choices. Giving students the knowledge on how to overcome challenges will help them be prepared when they first have to overcome one. This book gives great examples about the different challenges Melody has to overcome and shows the students that it is never easy.

2) Another way to use this in the class is to show students that people’s family life might be different than their depending on the family’s situation. Opening students’ minds about different home lives will help them to be more open-minded and understanding towards students with disabilities. It also shows the students that everyday things for them are harder for students with disabilities.

3) A third way that teachers can use this book in the classroom is to introduce the different disabilities that students can have. It is also important for students to understand that not everyone is born with a disability and that it might occur while they are growing up and that it doesn’t make that person different. This will also help students understand what people with cerebral palsy go through and get an overall understanding on how students with disabilities want to be treated.

-Key vocabulary
1) Convulsion: a sudden, violent, irregular movement of a limb or of the body, caused by involuntary contraction of muscles and associated with brain disorders
2) Indignation: anger or annoyance caused by unfair treatment
3) Cerebral Palsy (Spastic Bilateral Quadriplegia; limits body not mind): chronic disorders that impair control of movement due to damage to the developing brain
4) Petulant: childishly sulky or bad-tempered
5) Curvature: the fact of being curved or the degree to which something is curved
6) Diagnosis: the process of determining by examination the nature and circumstances of a diseased condition
7) Seizure: physical findings or changes in behavior that occur after an episode of abnormal electrical activity in the brain; often used interchangeably with "convulsion."
8) Synesthesia: a condition where one sense is simultaneously perceived by one or more senses; joined perception

-An inferential comprehension writing activity
The students can complete the Edhelper-Out of my Mind Comprehension Guide as a writing activity that will help students use their inferential comprehension skills throughout this book. 

-Before Reading Comprehension Activity: Invite students to share their feelings on words. Ask, "What role do words play in our lives?" "Are words valued more verbally or written?" "What makes you say this?" This can be a journal topic and a pre-reading activity for students to start thinking about how we use words. Additionally ask the question, "If you could not talk or hardly move your body, how would you communicate your words?"

-During Reading Comprehension Activity: While the students are independently reading they can do a “compare and contrast” list where they can look at how Melody was before her Medi-Talker and how she changed after her Medi-Talker.

-After Reading Comprehension Activity: Once students are finished reading the book, they can write a story called “In Her Shoes” where they extended their knowledge that they learned through reading Out of my Mind and apply it to a short story where they write about how they think they would react and feel if they were in Melody’s shoes.

El Deafo

El Deafo by Cece Bell
Publisher: Amulet Books
Copyright: 2014

Citation: Bell, C., & Lasky, D. (2014). El Deafo. Amulet Books. 

Literary Awards, Honors, and/or Nominations

1. 2015 John Newbery Award: Winner
2. 2015 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids (ages 8–12): Winner

Reading Level:
Lexile: 420L
Grade Level Equivalent: 3.4

-Original description of the book
Cece Bell did an amazing job transferring her experiences into a graphic novel that is appropriate and entertaining for students of all ages. She also used her experiences to help other students, who are struggling to adapt into a new community or culture, relate to the problems she had to be accepted, happy and maintain a good friendship. The graphics that were used in this book were also very “kid friendly”, and were sometimes explained with captions or notes. This book also shows that any child can be born with some type of disability or might not develop one until they grow older. El Deafo also helps students who were born ‘normal’ to look at life through someone else’s eyes while enjoying a good book at the same time.

-Corresponding Common Core State Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7: Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)

-Suggested delivery
1) Independent Read

-2 electronic resources
1) Hearing Loss Simulator
2) Cece Bell talks about El Deafo
3) Tamara video

-3 teaching suggestions for grades 4-6
1) One way to use El Deafo in the classroom is to have students read this and teach them about different points of perspectives. Then the teachers will pick students at random to pretend to be deaf by covering their ears with earmuffs, etc. and talk to students how they could go about the school day being deaf. Although it may only be in the classroom, this activity will affect the students and help show them how they can help other students who may be deaf.

2) Another way teachers can use this book in their classroom is to include this into their non-fiction/biography literature and show students how one person overcame their fear and shame about being different and ask why students might be ashamed of those. Afterwards, have the students make a list of ideas that can help other students accept themselves and how other students can help support that person.

3) Another way to use El Deafo in the classroom is to use it for a health/wellness lesson to teach students about hearing impairments.

-Key vocabulary
1) Perspective: a mental view; the state of one's ideas
2) Meningitis: a sickness caused by a bacterial or viral infection and characterized by high fever, severe headache, and stiff neck or back muscles
3) Definite: having fixed limits; positive; for sure
4) Fussing: an excessive display of anxious attention or activity; to annoy or bother
5) Phonic: relating to speech sounds
6) Clarify: to make (an idea, statement, etc.) clear or intelligible; to become clear, pure, or intelligible

-An inferential comprehension writing activity
For a writing activity that helps promote students’ inferential comprehension, click on the following link to see different writing prompts for different content areas, along with the Common Core Standards: El Deafo Teaching Guide

-Before Reading Comprehension Activity: Ask students what they know about deafness and people who are deaf. Find out what their misconceptions are. What type of life can deaf people live? Can they have jobs? Can they go to school? What can be done so deaf people can learn? Are there varying degrees of deafness? Questions like these will help students engage their schema and can help clear up any misconceptions students may have.

-During Reading Comprehension Activity: Write about a time in your life when you didn't feel like you fit it or like someone left you out of a conversation. How did it make you feel? What did you do about it?

-After Reading Comprehension Activity: Encourage students to go to Wordle and create their own individual Wordles based on the knowledge that they learned about from El Deafo. The students must have at least 10-15 words, phrases and/or ideas that support the main theme of this book. Once completed, we will print them out and hang them outside and around our classrooms to help teach other students about deafness.

-Reading Mini-Lesson: Comparing Graphic Novels to Text-written Novels

• The objective of this mini-lesson is to have students compare and contrast the different characteristics that graphic novels and fictional novels have.  This will help them understand how to read a graphic novel and how to interpret the different components.

We have been reading El Deafo by Cece Bell and today, we are going to discuss how a graphic novel is different than a novel. First, let’s create a mind map specifically for El Deafo. What characteristics make up a graphic novel? (Answers should be characters, setting, genre, illustrations, and format/layout.) 

Alright so now let’s fill this map in. (Teacher will then proceed to ask students about what could be put in the different characteristics ‘bubbles’.) Now that we have finished our graphic novel mind map, let’s work on making a text-written novel mind map. (Can vary based on what book is being read as a read aloud.) Who would like to come up and start making our novel mind map? (Teacher will call up various students by repeating the same process as above.)

I noticed that while these two types of genres share a lot of characteristics, they both of differences that make them each unique. Since we learned about the characteristics of two genres, let’s go back to our desks and write about which book we all would like to read based on what our mind maps are showing us.