YA Book

Part One

a. Bibliographic information (in APA format) including author, title, illustrator, publisher, and copyright date:

Pike, C. (1986). Chain Letter. Los Angeles: Avon Books.

Usage information including genre and suggested age or grade level range:
Grade Level: 4th grade
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Part Two

a.Response to the book including one or more of the following:
f.Prompts you could use when reading the books with children: I would use the prompt of: How does characterization play into the development of the plot?

Part Three

Critique of the book based on the various components and issues that you will read about in course readings and that we will discuss in class, particularly emphasizing plot, setting, theme, style, and point of view:
The plot was well designed, the suspense keeps kids at this age on edge. I think that especially considering that this book has so many elements and such a dramatic plot that leads students to easily map out the elements of plot this story is a great read for kids this age.

Part Four

Lesson Sketch based on the book that includes a lesson objective, 2-3 discussion questions based on the book, a standards-based lesson activity, and at least 3 links to outside resources, websites, lesson ideas, etc. related to the book that could be used in a lesson or with your future students.

(Check calendar for the week when each blog is due)

Lesson Sketch: ANONYMOUS
Objective: The fourth grade students will put someone one trial in the class to determine who the caretaker is. The students will divide themselves into teams of defense and prosecution, I will be the judge, and there will be a jury as well. The goal will be to prove someone out of the characters in the book either told the caretaker or is the caretaker. In order to prosecute or defend, they should be pulling evidence from the book.
Grade: 4th Grade
Standards Addressed:
Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
3.2 Identify the main events of the plot, their causes, and the influence of each event on future actions. 3.3 Use knowledge of the situation and setting and of a character’s traits and motivations to determine the causes for that character’s actions.
2-3 Questions:
What are some character traits of the characters?
What was the climax?
3 Links:

Challenged Book

Part One

a. Bibliographic information (in APA format) including author, title, illustrator, publisher, and copyright date:

L’Engle, M. (1963). A Wrinkle in Time. N.p.: Straus & Giroux.

Usage information including genre and suggested age or grade level range:
Grade Level: 4th grade
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Part Two

a.Response to the book including one or more of the following:
f.Prompts you could use when reading the books with children: Personally, I see this piece as a huge response to literature. I think that the question “Which main event occurred that began the journey to search for the main characters father?”

Part Three

Critique of the book based on the various components and issues that you will read about in course readings and that we will discuss in class, particularly emphasizing plot, setting, theme, style, and point of view.
I think in terms of plot, the book was a bit all over the place. What I thought that was valuable for was a lesson that was centered around tracing character types, g motivation, and how events are catalysts for ‘s plot.

Part Four

Lesson Sketch based on the book that includes a lesson objective, 2-3 discussion questions based on the book, a standards-based lesson activity, and at least 3 links to outside resources, websites, lesson ideas, etc. related to the book that could be used in a lesson or with your future students.

(Check calendar for the week when each blog is due)

Lesson Sketch: PLOT TWIST

Objective: The fourth grade students will determine a point in the story that they would like to insert a “plot twist” they should then write a paragraph on what happens to the character(s) next. The paragraph should also include whether or not that created a rising or falling action, how it affected the characterization of the characters involved, and how it might influence their future actions.

They can use this sheet to work on the brainstorm aspect of the plot twist:

Grade: 4th Grade

Standards Addressed:

Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
3.2 Identify the main events of the plot, their causes, and the influence of each event on future actions. 3.3 Use knowledge of the situation and setting and of a character’s traits and motivations to determine the causes for that character’s actions.

2-3 Questions:
Define “plot twist”?
Why do we use this phrase to talk about a change in plot?
Does this indicate something good, bad, or either?
What was/is the/a rising action?
What was the falling action?

3 Links:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/wrinkle-time-extension-activities

http://www.lessonplanet.com/lesson-plans/a-wrinkle-in-time/all

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/middle-school-english-lessons/69563-a-wrinkle-in-time-writing-prompts-and-word-scramble-activities/

Batchelder Book

Part One

1 Bibliographic information (in APA format) including author, title, illustrator, publisher, and copyright date.  

Morgenstern, S. H. (2003). A Book of Coupons. N.p.: San Val.

1 Usage information including genre and suggested age or grade level range.

Grade level suggestion: 4th Grade and up

Age Level: 9yrs and older

Genre:  Contemporary Realistic Friction

Usage: Reinforcing the theme of choice and character

Part Two

1 Response to the book including one or more of the following:

1 Predictions

2 Thoughts about craft

3 Personal connections to other books or your life

4 Thoughts about particular issues raised in the book

5 Prompts you could use when reading the books with children

Personal Response:

1I predicted that the book would end much differently than it did, I think just because I understood the value of what the teacher was trying to do in using coupons with his class I found so much worth in the lesson. So to discover at the end that he was fired and had such a negative relationship with administration, I was a little disappointed.

2I thought that the book was well written, the illustrations were minimal and didn’t really represent the depictions accurately. I thought they could have been better to help create ore of a visual. I think that the author also gave a very realistic story, which in some aspects- I liked. It represented the truth behind negative relationships with administration and teacher expectation, but also gave a side of the story I don’t think many students (especially at a young age) wold be able to connect with or understand.

3In terms of personal connection, I had a teacher that gave out “Duffy Chips.” They were almost like coupons, but Mr. Duffy gave out tokens that could be used to redeem different things. Many of the things were very different from the concepts presented in the story though (i.e. 5 minutes early to lunch, free homework pass, etc.)

4I like that the book represented the accuracies present in teacher/admin relationships and expectations of appropriate practices in the classroom.

5I think that a prompt that could successfully be used in this would be:

Explain the importance of making good choices despite what other people tell you is “okay.”

Part Three

1 Critique of the book based on the various components and issues that you will read about in course readings and that we will discuss in class, particularly emphasizing plot, setting, theme, style, and point of view.

I think that because the book was translated from French it definitely made the book already different from a lot of american literature, especially in terms of how it presented education. The theme was spot on and presented a very mature and valuable lesson that isn’t usually present in children’s literature. The outcome of the story also reinforced the idea that not every story has a happy ending, despite the good done on someone’s behalf. The fact that the story was presented in third person gave a very unbiased telling of the story I found valuable to establishing my own opinion and retrospect of the theme and point of view present within the conflict present in the story.

Part Four

1 Lesson Sketch based on the book that includes a lesson objective, 2-3 discussion questions based on the book, a standards-based lesson activity, and at least 3 links to outside resources, websites, lesson ideas, etc. related to the book that could be used in a lesson or with your future students.

Lesson Sketch:

I would have my students design their own coupon book with five coupons that they thought were appropriate and taught a valuable lesson based on how you chose to use them. On the backs of the coupons, students should write which pillar of character the coupon was attributed to teaching/reinforcing.

Standards? Grade Level?

Focus: 5th Grade

ELA:

Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text

32.3  Discern main ideas and concepts presented in texts, identifying and assessing evidence that supports those ideas.

Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text

23.2  Identify the main problem or conflict of the plot and explain how it is resolved.

33.3  Contrast the actions, motives (e.g., loyalty, selfishness, conscientiousness), and appear­
ances of characters in a work of fiction and discuss the importance of the contrasts to the
plot or theme.

43.4  Understand that theme refers to the meaning or moral of a selection and recognize themes
(whether implied or stated directly) in sample works.

Discussion Questions:

Do you think because the story was set in France it has anything to do with the difference in the way the teacher chose to teach?

What kind of coupons are good for teaching help with being responsible?

Do you think the teachers coupons taught his students anything about responsibility?

Why do you think the principal didn’t like his ideas?

Three outside sources:

Scholastic Lesson Plan

How to Make a Coupon Book

Coupon Book Printable Templates