Engaging Studentswith
Children’s Literature
Book Discussions . . . 1. promote “grand conversations;”
2. help develop or activate background knowledge;
3. provide opportunities for reading, writing, speaking, and listening;
4. promote higher level thinking;
5. allow for heterogeneous groups;
6. involve english-language learners.
Pre-reading activities
Anticipation Guide
Agree
____________
Disagree
__________
It would be wonderful to live forever.
____________ __________
You should never do something that your parents have forbidden.
____________ __________
It is OK to hurt one person to protect many.
Opinionaires/Questionnaires
What words best describe a bully?
___ heroic ___ wise guy ___ mean
___ conceited ___ unloved ___ spoiled
___ babyish ___ poor ___ wealthy
Listed below are a few incidents that make some people feel bad. Which of them make you feel bad?
___ When someone you love is ashamed of you.
___ When people call you names.
___ When people act as if they are better than you.
___ When you are punished for something you did that you should not have done.
Contrast Charts
Good Day
1. Had a good lunch
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Bad Day
1.Forgot my lunch
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Immigrants
Problems Traditions
Ethnic Groups
KWL Chart
What we know What we want to know
What we learned
Preview/Predict/Confirm Chart
Word Predictions Appeared in text?
Yes
Appeared in text?
No
cowboy
Horse
Clothes
Hat
Boots
Cattle
bronco
During the Reading
Literature Maps
Mother BirdCares about her baby
Goes off to find food
Baby BirdBreaks out of shell
Leaves nest and falls
Can’t fly
Wants to find his mother
Possible MothersKitten
Hen
Dog
Cow
QuestionsWill the baby bird find his mother?
Will the baby bird get hurt?
Will the baby bird get lost?
Character Map
Wilbur
Pig
Planned his day
Lonely
No friends
Wants love
Templeton
Rat
Likes to eat, spy, hide
Not a merrymaker
Crafty
Wants to be Friends
rude
Character Webs
DoctorDeSoto
cautious
Puts pole in fox’smouth to keep it open
Usually won’ttreat dangerousanimals
Character Perspective Charts
Main Character: Frances
Problem: Her mother is serving foods other than her favorite bread and jam
Main Character: Mother
Problem: Her daughter won’t try new foods
Double-Entry Journal
Interesting information
The strongest animal is an ant. It can carry five times its weight.
Response
I can’t believe the ant is such a strong animal! I watch them in my yard. They do carry pretty big things.
Reading Log
Does anything in this chapter remind you of something that’s happened to you?
I guess I’m really lucky. I have been going to this school since kindergarten. I can just imagine how awful it would be to leave your friends and move to a new place.
Partner Journal
Dear Journal Partner:
This book is so cool! I have a diary, but I’m not very good about writing in it. Do you suppose someone will want to publish it . .
Dear Partner:I don’t know who the phantom is.
The book tells about bound boys who should . . .
Character Journal
Student entry:
I can’t stand it. Dad’s making me take this dog back to that mean Judd Travers. Poor dog. I can tell he ain’t been treated right.
Feelings Chart
Events Ojiisan Tada Villagers
The water was calm and the village children played in the gentle waves.
Content
Satisfied
Happy
Glad
Happy
playful
Thankful
Secure
lucky
Ojiisan sets fire to the rice fields.
Awful
Bad
Sad
Anxious
Puzzled
Curious
Excited
Surprised
Unlucky
The huge tidal wave strikes the beach.
Afraid
Hopeful
Thankful
Scared
Afraid
Panid
Scared
Frightened
terrified
Contrast Chart
Reasons why Ira should take his teddy bear:
He’s never slept without it.
They’re going to tell scary stories.
His friend’s house is very dark.
Reasons why Ira should not take his teddy bear:
His friend will laugh at him.
He’ll think Ira is a baby.
His friend will laugh at the bear’s name.
Post-reading Activities
Polar Opposites
Ferdinand is
Happy X __ __ sadHe seems to be very happy as long as he can sit and smell
flowers.
Healthy X __ __ unhealthyHe is big and strong which means he must be healthy.
Fierce __ __ X tameFerdinand likes to sit. He is not interested in fighting.
Quotation Shares
• Each student selects passage to share
• Practices reading aloud
• Shares with group
• Tells why he/she chose the passage
Literary Report Card
Omri
AreaGrade Comment
Arts and Crafts A Omri constructed a beautiful tepee for the Indian.
Respect for others A Omri valued the Indian as a real person with real feelings.
Creativity A Omri solved many problems such as how to feed and provide shelter.
Responsibility A Omri took excellent care of Little Bear.
Attentiveness in school C Omri spent too much time thinking about Little Bear.
Plot Organizer
WOW! Annemarie is stopped and questions . .
Exciting
Interesting Running from home, Ellen, Anne, marie . . .
Calm Peter visits after curfew and tells the..
Uncle Henrik explains the Resistance
The war ends. Annemarie learns
World Wheels
Hopscotch
IndiaThrow and kick the PuckDrawn in soft red clay China
“one foot flying Machine”
Great BritainIn the shape ofA wheel5 pebbles used
FranceIn the shape of a snailNo puck used
TrinidadCalled jumby or duppyUse jumby beans
Venn Diagrams
Fruit Bats
Sleep hanging by feetLike to eat fruitCan’t land on feetSleep during dayCan see at night
Birds
Sleep in nestLike to eat bugsLand on feetSleep at nightCan’t see at night
AnimalsCan flyEatsleep
Book Charts
Title Author Character LessonThe War With Grandpa
Robert K. Smith Peter War isn’t fun.
War doesn’t solve problems.
The Hundred Dresses
Eleanor Estes Maddie Don’t just stand by when other are doing cruel things.
Eyes of the Dragon
Margaret Leaf The magistrate It is important to keep your word.