Craft Lesson 7

Resource Materials:

Pennypacker, Sara. Stuart's Cape. Illus. Martin Matje. New York: Scholastic, 2002.

Target Audience:

3^rd Grade

Discussion:

By the third grade, students should be able to listen critically to interpret and evaluate material presented in class. The line between fantasy and reality is not always easy for students to discern, and Pennypacker blends the two seamlessly in Stuart's Cape. In this craft lesson, students will use critical listening and thinking skills to pick out events of fantasy as opposed to the events that could really happen.

How to Teach It:

After reviewing comprehension strategies like visualization, self-questioning and evaluating, read one chapter of Stuart's Cape aloud to the class. On a chart tablet, make a "real" column and a "fantasy" column, and remind students that "real" means it could happen in real life and "fantasy" means it could not really happen. Give students a chance to share orally what they remember from the story and whether or not it was real or fantasy. The students then write their responses in the appropriate column on the chart tablet. Repeat the process each day of the week, combining the last two chapters. Each day before reading time review the previous days' chart tablet entries to help students focus on the story and the concept of real vs. fantasy.

3^rd Grade Standards Taught:

1) listening critically to interpret and evaluate, 2) listening responsively to stories and other texts read aloud, 3) distinguish fiction from nonfiction, including fact and fantasy, 4) ask and answer relevent questions and make contributions in small or large group discussions.

Babymouse

I'm really not a fan of graphic novels. Call me lazy, but it annoys me to have to think about pictures in order to get the jist of the story. I'd rather just read. And when I read I like to be able to get into the flow of the words. But Babymouse was so choppy. It just was not a great reading experience for me.

That said, I have to give Babymouse props for content. In particular, I love how she says that real heroes don't give up on pg. 59. Her imagination was funny, and I think that some kids might reall get into it. I think it's interesting that the last 2 books we've read were both about characters with huge imaginations, but they were presented in really different ways.

Craft Lesson 6

Resource Materials:

Fleischman, Paul and Kevin Hawkes. Sidewalk Circus. Massachusetts: Candlewick, 2004.

Target Audience:

Second Grade

Discussion:

Sidewalk Circus is a great reminder that reading the pictures is just as important as reading the words. Once the kids get the hang of "reading" the shadows, I think their imaginations will take off. I especially like the way it seems that the story ends with a new beginning. This book begs for a sequel.

How to Teach It:

I would read the book in guided reading groups of about four students each. After discussing the story to ensure that all of the kids understood the concept, I would let them write the sequel cooperatively and illustrated it if time allows.

Craft Lesson 5

Resource Materials:

Mora, Pat. Yum! MmMm! Que Rico!. Illus. Rafael Lopez. New York: Lee & Low, 2007.

Target Audience:

Fourth Grade

Discussion/ How to Teach It:

According to the TEKS, fourth graders should be able to use a variety of sources and materials to research a topic and present it to the class.

We will read Yum! MmMm! Que Rico! to create a schema for an essay on the origin of one's favorite food might look like. Then the kids will each choose a food that they really enjoy to study. They will use a variety of resources to research their foods such as the internet, the dictionary, the encyclopedia, and other selections from the library. This will be a major project that we will work on once or twice a week for several weeks. In the end, we will bind each students' contribution together to create a class book, complete with illustrations.