The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus

The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Copyright: 2014

Citation: Bryant, J., & Sweet, M. (2014). The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. 

Literary Awards, Honors, and/or Nominations

1. 2015 Randolph Caldecott Medal: Honor
2. 2015 Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration: Winner
3. 2015 Orbis Pictus Award 2000-2016: Honor
4. 2015 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal: Winner
5. 2014 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature:  Finalist 

Reading Level:
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.1
Lexile: 590L

-Original description of the book
The way that Jen Bryant wrote this book is unique, informational, and fun for students to enjoy. The synonymous words that she uses to describe Peter Roget throughout the book and in the conceptual illustrations are a phenomenal way to increase students’ vocabulary.

-Corresponding Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

-Suggested delivery
1) Read Aloud
2) Independent Read

-2 electronic resources
1) Jen Bryant's website for The Right Word
2) The Right Word Discussion Guide

-3 teaching suggestions for grades 4-6
1) This book can be used to show students that while Roget is most famous for his thesaurus, he also spent a majority of his life as a scientist and an inventor. Have students pair up and inquire more about Roget’s accomplishments as a scientist and inventor. Afterwards, they can present their findings to the class.

2) Students can use word webs to explore synonyms for common words, choose context appropriate synonyms, and use descriptive words in speech and writing. A ReadWriteThink lesson plan for this can be found at this website.

3) Teachers can use this book to teach students about synonyms and antonyms by using a physical activity. There is an example lesson plan found here.

-Key vocabulary
1) Thesaurus: a book that lists words in groups of synonyms and related concepts
2) Synonym: a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language
3) Translate: express the sense of words in another language
4) Whippersnapper: a young and inexperienced person considered to be rude or overconfident
5) Grieve: deep sadness, especially that caused by someone's death
6) Timidity: lacking in self-assurance, courage, or bravery
7) Conviction: the quality of showing that one is firmly convinced of what one believes or says

-An inferential comprehension writing activity
Students will write about how they would plan a birthday party for a certain vocabulary word. They have to take into consideration what the word they have chosen means when planning the menu, activities, and decorations. Once students have written about their own word, they will be put into pairs where they will have to plan a joint birthday party with another vocabulary word. This activity will give them a deeper understanding of their vocabulary words. Once the students have written about the party, they can present it to the class.

-Before Reading Comprehension Activity: What is a thesaurus? Talk in small groups about any experiences you have had with using a thesaurus. Who do you think might need or use one? Compare and contrast a thesaurus with a dictionary. How are they alike and how are they different? When might you use one instead of the other? When might you use both?

-During Reading Comprehension Activity: Choose a simple adjective or adverb from the book (tall, thin, concisely, quickly, etc.). Create an array of words on a continuum to show shades of meaning and degrees of intensity. For example – bothered, annoyed, irritated, upset, angry, irate, furious, turbulent. Write your words on post-its or index cards for easy manipulation. Confer with a partner to gain additional ideas or words that do not belong. Illustrate or create sentences for several of the words to aid in the understanding of the subtle differences in meaning.

-After Reading Comprehension Activity: While Roget’s Thesaurus is a remarkable reference tool and testimony to the richness of language, it only presents words and phrases that are part of the English language. Discuss with your class whether one language can really express everything someone wants to say. Are there words or phrases in other languages that do a better job of capturing the nuances and connotations of meaning that one wants to convey? Have your students inquire into this matter. If they or their families speak languages other than English, have them examine the translations of words from one language to the other. Do they really convey the exact same meaning? You might also have students carry this inquiry into their foreign language classes. After conducting some research, have students create a multilingual thesaurus to use in class and possibly share in the school or local library.

-Writing Mini-Lesson: Using Synonyms for Overused Words

• The objective of this mini-lesson is to have students learn the correct ways to use a thesaurus, why it is important for writing, reading and for increasing vocabulary.

Have students meet in a place where they can all see the board and begin to discuss what the mini-lesson is going to cover. 

We are currently working on the revising stage of writing. When we revise a writing piece, we are constantly editing it by adding more details, adjectives, descriptive actions and dialogue, using similes and metaphors, and by changing any overused words. Today we will focus on the book The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus and how Roget used many synonyms for everyday words. To do this, let’s make a list of words that we use a lot on the board.
(Teacher and students come up with words.)

Okay now can someone tell me where I can look to find synonyms for the first word “like”? (Students may say Thesaurus or the internet.) Alright let’s look in the thesaurus for other words that mean “like”.
(As the teacher finds words in the thesaurus, add them underneath the original word and ask students for more words that might be another synonym for “like”. Examples are relish, favor, adore, cherish, desire, and wish.).

Now I am going to give you all a word and you are going to pair up and create a list of synonyms for the word that I give you. (Examples of words: yell, awesome, give, want, very, good, light, sad, big, soft, and loud.) We are going to do some exclusion brainstorming with these words. You will create your own list of synonyms and we will share the list in about 10 minutes, which you will then have to defend why you think the words you chose will show up in The Right Word and why others won’t. Once we are done, we will add these words to our word wall.

(Students will begin the exclusion brainstorming activity with another student and the teacher will walk around listening to how well the students are reasoning with one another about their own decisions.)

Now that we have added some "spicy" words to our chart, I want you to pick one of your writing pieces that you have been revising and reread it. I want you to revise words that are overused. You may share a thesaurus with your desk/table partner and resubmit the piece once you are finished.

The Notorious Benedict Arnold

The Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Copyright: 2010

Citation: Sheinkin, S. (2010). The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, & Treachery. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.

Literary Awards, Honors, and/or Nominations

1. 2012 YALSA's Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: Winner
2. 2011 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Nonfiction: Winner 

Reading Level:

Grade Level Equivalent: 7.1
Lexile Measure: 990L
DRA: 60
Guided Reading: Y

-Original description of the book
Steve Sheinkin used great primary and secondary resources throughout this book. It is also a great introductory book to get students used to biographies and to introduce them to American historical figures. It is a very action-packed book that has interesting twists and turns that keeps you on your toes. The Notorious Benedict Arnold is also a great book for older students as well. I didn’t know much about Benedict Arnold and while I was reading I was getting not just history about our country but also about different towns in Connecticut. This book also uses different perspectives about how Benedict Arnold betrays his country and how many people think of him as a traitor, other believe that he is a hero.

-Corresponding Common Core State Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.8: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not. (Activity that addresses the standard: Students debating over the controversy of Benedict Arnold's actions.)

-Suggested delivery
1) Independent Read

-2 electronic resources
1) American Revolution on Ducksters
2) Biographies for Kids-Famous Leaders

-3 teaching suggestions for grades 4-6
1) Teachers can use this book in the classroom as an introduction or as a resource/biography about the American/Revolutionary War. This will help students become interested in the people who were involved in the Revolutionary War and what people during that time had to go through.

2) Another way teachers can use this book in the classroom is to teach students about the different Historical Figures that the United States has. While teaching this topic, teachers can also go into the concept about different perspectives that people have about these historic people and how misconceptions were formed about them.

3) This book would also be a great way to introduce to students what autobiographies and biographies are and what are in them. Teachers can also teach students about the different types of resources that are used for biographies and autobiographies.

-Key vocabulary
1) Justice of the peace: a local public officer that that determines minor civil and criminal cases and having authority give oaths and oversees marriages
2) Gout: a reoccurring disease characterized by painful inflammation of the joints, mainly in the feet and hands
3) Wharf: a structure built on a shore that lets ships be moored to unload supplies
4) Apprehend: to take into custody; arrested by a legal warrant and authority
5) Revile: to speak abusively
6) Calumniate: to make false and malicious statements
7) Magnanimous: generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness
8) Indelicate: improper; offensive to a sense of generally accepted modesty or decency
9) Obstinate: not easily controlled; firmly believing or sticking to one’s opinion
10) Frivolous: characterized by a lack of seriousness; having little or no importance
11) Animosity: a feeling of strong dislike or ill well that tends to display itself in action
12) Calumny: a false and cruel statement meant to injure the reputation of someone or something
13) Sycophant: a self-seeking flatter
14) Zeal: eager desire
15) Abhor: to regard with extreme disgust
16) Tyranny: a government ruled by one ruler
17) Annals: a record of events of a specific year
18) Adjutant: a staff officer who assists the commanding officer in giving orders
19) Audacious: extremely bold and daring

-Vocabulary Instruction
This specific books is filled with a lot of complex vocabulary that is mostly used with military and war themed books, so students will most likely need to have more explicit instruction that will expose these words before they come across them in the book.  Students can create their own vocabulary stapleless book to give the students the work, definition, visuals and other clues that will help them remember the word's meaning.  Students can go back and add more information as they read the book to build their knowledge about these vocabulary words.


-An inferential comprehension writing activity
Students will write extended response-style essays on the following prompts:
   -Did Steve Sheinkin’s book accurately and effectively communicate the sentiments of George Washington and Benedict, as implied by their letters? Explain your reasoning using evidence from the text, as well as your own interpretation.
   -Did Sheinkin’s book provides sufficient background knowledge to explain how the letters between Arnold and Washington were influential to Arnold’s subsequent acts of treason? Explain your reasoning using evidence from the text, as well as your interpretation.

-Before Reading Comprehension Activity: Create an interactive avatar on Blabberize and use that to give a background on Benedict Arnold. Once the avatar is done, ask students based on what they just heard and know about Benedict Arnold what they believe the book will be about and whether they believe if he is a traitor or a hero.

-During Reading Comprehension Activity: Have students take split-page note taking while reading or listening to the book. This will help students to remember what they thought was important and why.

-After Reading Comprehension Activity: Have students create a skit based on what happened in the book. The students will be split up into groups and will have a certain time period assigned to them and they will have to sort out the main events and recreate them to the class.