Book Title: Elijah of Buxton

Ellen Darling

Book Title: Elijah of Buxton

Author: Christopher Paul Curtis

Objectives/Outcomes / 1.)  The student will demonstrate knowledge of using comprehension strategies and analyzing elements of literary texts (5-5.1), by making predictions before, during and after reading literary using a Directed Reading-Thinking Activity worksheet (Tyner, pg. 250), and completing 2 journal entries predicting what will happen in the next chapter of the novel. (Tyner pg. 250)
RI GLE R-5-13
W-5-3.2
R-5-5.1
2.)  The student will analyze and interpret elements of a literary text, citing evidence where appropriate by identifying the author’s theme or message by correctly answering questions about the author’s theme in pre-reading discussion, pre-reading journal entry, and during reading.
RI GLE R-5-5.6
W-5-3.2
OC-5-1.4
3.)  The student will demonstrate knowledge of reading with prosody- reading texts with phrasing and expression, and with attention to text features, such as punctuation, italics, and dialogue –by reading aloud- the teacher will assess this with an observational checklist.
R–5–11.3
4.)  The student will demonstrate knowledge of applying word identification and decoding strategies by identifying multi-syllabic words by using knowledge of word patterns, specifically the suffix –ing, by completing a word sorting activity using -ing.
R-5-1.1
W-5-9.5
5.)  The student will demonstrate an initial understanding of elements of literary texts by identifying or describing character(s), setting, problem/solution, major events, or plot, as appropriate to text (R–5–4.1) and demonstrate knowledge of literary devices, specifically imagery and simple metaphors (R-5-4.5) by answering questions during reading correctly.
OC-5-1.4
Materials / 1.  Elijah of Buxton, a copy for each student and the teacher
2.  20 copies of the Direct-Reading worksheet
3.  20 copies of the word sort activity
4.  Students’ journals
5.  each student will need a pencil
6.  chalk to write on the board-for teacher
Grouping / ·  The lesson will be taught to the entire class, and students will work individually on worksheets and assignments.
·  This lesson will be taught in the second half of fifth grade.
Before Reading / I. Activate students’ prior knowledge by reviewing what happened in the previous chapter (20) and discuss the theme of the novel.
Q: Where is Elijah now? (literal)
A: Detroit, America
Q: Who did he go there with?
A: Mr. Leroy
Q: Why is he there? (literal)
A: He went there with Mr. Leroy to find The Preacher. They went to ask Mr. Alston where the preacher is.
Q: What did Mr. Alston tell Elijah and Mr. Leroy about The Preacher? (literal)
A: He told them that the Preacher had been gambling away Mr. Leroy’s money and that he was going away to gamble more money.
Q: Where did he hear the preacher was last? (literal)
A: near East Lee Stable, where there were a lot of slavers
Q: What happens to Mr. Leroy when he finds out about the Preacher? (literal)
A: He dies.
Q: Why do you think Mr. Leroy died? (inferential)
A: because he was so distressed about The Preacher
Q: How does Elijah feel when Mr. Leroy dies? (inferential)
A: scared, sad, - lead students to the answer – FRAGILE
Q: If necessary- How did the author describe how Elijah felt? It is a word that Elijah has said a lot throughout the story to describe how he feels.
A: Fragile
Q: Good. What does it mean to be fragile? Write fragile on the board.
A: easily broken, weak, many students may say scared
Here, I will reiterate to students that something fragile is usually something that breaks easily, like their parents crystal bowl or fine dishes. In Elijah of Buxton, the author uses the word fragile to describe a person- Elijah, and not an object.
Q: I will then ask students, “Why do you think the author describes Elijah as ‘fragile’”? (inferential)
A: He feels like he is weak and gets scared easily, he may feel like he is easily “broken”- emotionally.
I will tell students that we have all felt fragile at some point in our lives. I will tell them that I often feel fragile when I go into really high places or when I see snakes, which are two of my biggest fears. I will tell them that when I feel fragile, I get scared, and my knees start to shake.
Q: I will ask students to think of a time when they felt fragile, and to raise their hands to share it with the class if they feel comfortable doing so. (text to life connection)
A: accept various answers
Q: What do you want to do when you feel fragile? (text to life)
A: accept various answers, but look for run away, give up
Q: How does Elijah say he feels when he feels fragile? (literal)
A: he feels his nose start to loosen, and like he is about to cry and he gets scared and dizzy
Q: So even though Elijah feels fragile and scared after Mr. Leroy died, what does he do at the end of the chapter? (literal)
A: He goes to the Stable, where there are a lot of slavers
Q: Why? (literal)
A: Because he doesn’t want to break his promise to Mr. Leroy
Q: Will it be easy for Elijah to go to the Stable? (inferential)
A: no
Q: What would it have been easier for Elijah to do? (inferential)
A: Give up and go home
Q: So even though Elijah felt fragile after the preacher died, and it would have been easier for him to give up and go home, he doesn’t give up. He decides to keep going and looking for the preacher. What do you think the theme is, or what might the author be trying to tell us by having Elijah act this way? (inferential)
A: to keep trying and not give up even if we feel fragile, that just because we feel fragile it does not mean that we have to give up
II. Comprehension strategy: Predicting
1.) I will tell students that today we are going to be working on the comprehension skill, predicting. I will tell students that to predict something means that you are going to guess what will happen in the future. Usually you use some information you already know about something to make a prediction. For example, a weatherman makes a prediction about what the weather will be like tomorrow (sunny, rainy, windy or cloudy) by using what they already know about weather patterns, such as what the weather is like in a nearby state, or what could patterns look like, or what the wind speed is. I will then give more examples.
a.) If I notice that that there is only one cookie left on the plate in the kitchen, and I know my mom is coming home after work and loves cookies, I may predict that all the cookies will be gone tomorrow, because my mom will eat them.
b.) I know that my sister has a date tomorrow and does not have any nice shoes to wear. I predict that she will ask me if she can wear my shoes.
c.) I know that we don’t have any more milk in the house; I predict that my dad will buy some on the way home from work today.
d.) I know the Red Sox have been having a good season; I predict they will win the World Series.
2. I will then ask students questions about predictions.
Q: If it is really hot out, what might I predict my friends will want to do with me later in the day?
A: various- go to the pool, the beach
Q: If I rip a hole in my sister’s shirt, what might I predict will happen when I see her at the end of the day?
A: various- she will yell at me, we will get in a fight
Q: If I break my neighbors window while playing baseball, what might I predict my mom will say at the end of the day when she finds out?
A: various- you’re grounded!
3.) I will tell students that we are now going to continue to work with predictions. Tell students that their predictions during this lesson will be evaluated based on whether or not their predictions make sense within the context of the text, and whether their answers are based on the text. For example, it would not make sense to predict that Mr. Leory will come back from the dead and find the preacher, because nothing in the texts suggests that it is possible for people to come back to life. I will ask everyone to take out their journals and quick write about their predictions for the next chapter. What do they predict might happen to Elijah that would make him feel Fragile? Do they predict that Elijah will give up on finding the preacher if he feels fragile?
Tell students that this is a very exciting chapter and I think they will really like it.
During Reading
After Reading / 1.)  Tell students that we are going to be reading chapter 21 as a class and we will all take turns reading. Students will raise their hands when they want to read out loud, and students who are not reading will follow along silently. I will be stopping at different times while we are reading to ask questions and to ask them to make predictions about the story. I will hand out the prediction worksheet to each student, and tell them to only worry about filling it out when I ask them to make a prediction on their worksheets about what will happen. For now, they are only going to fill in the boxes that say “What do I think will happen?” (remind students that this means that they are going to be making a prediction and writing it in this box).
Q: Stop students at page 289- at the bottom of the page- before the break in the page- What just happened? (literal)
A: Elijah found the stable and fought with a giant bear-fighting dog to get by. He threw stones at the dog to knock him out. He is now about to open the door to the stable.
Tell students to now make a prediction about what will happen next on their worksheets. Write their predictions in the box that says What Do I think will happen next? Do not worry about filling in the box about what actually happened yet. We will do this when we finish the chapter. Tell all students to put their pencils down and look up when they are finished. When all students have looked up, continue reading.
Q: Stop students at the top of pg. 292 after stable. Who can describe the inside of the stable? (literal)
A: very dark, there are animals inside (goats and horses), it smells really bad
Q: How does Elijah know something is wrong in the stable? (inferential)
A: there is a strange odor in the stable, almost like someone is really sick or dying, or something is rotting
Q: What does Elijah see at the other side of the stable? (literal)
A: a person
Tell students to now write a prediction about who they think is on the other side of the stable in the next box that says What do I think will happen next? Under the first box they wrote in. Tell students to put their pencils down and look up when they are done. Continue reading when all students have looked up.
Q: Stop students at the top of page 293 after right. Who does Elijah think is at the other end of the stable? (literal)
A: the preacher
Q: What does the preacher look like? (literal)
A: really still, his arms are up over his head, and his head is ducked down, he looks frozen
Q: What does Elijah mean when he says “I acted like a fawn all over again”? (inferential) (If students seem confused, ask them to describe a fawn (a baby deer-young, scares easily) tell them about the phrase “deer caught in the headlights”)
A: He feels “fragile”
Tell students to now make a prediction about what will happen next in the next square on the sheet.
Q: Stop students at the bottom of page 294 after haint. Describe what a haint is (What does haint sound like? Haunt. A haint is a slang term that the author uses in this book for ghost.) What does Elijah see leaning against the wall of the stable? (literal)
A: five bundles
Q: What are the bundles doing? (literal)
A: humming
Q: What does Elijah think the bundles are? (literal)
A: “haints” ghosts
Q: Why does Elijah think that the bundles are ghosts? (inferential)
A: because they are humming like ghosts, and one of the bundles has four arms, two big and two small
Q: What does Elijah mean when he says he felt like the floor was rising and falling? (Inferential)
A: He feels scared, fragile (here, tell students that they may feel like this when they feel fragile, they may feel like their legs are shaking, weak in the knees)
Tell students to write their next predictions.
Q: Have students read to the bottom of page 298, after anyway. How did the theme of fragileness come up in this last section that we read? (inferential)
A: Elijah felt fragile when he saw the “haint” with four arms
Q: What happened to Elijah when he felt fragile? (literal)
A: He fainted
What are the “haints”/demons really? (literal)
A: slaves
Q: How does Elijah find out that the “haints” are really slaves? (literal)
A: The “haint” with four arms was really a woman and a baby
Q: Why did it look like one of the “haints” had four arms? (inferential)
A: because it was a woman holding a baby- the woman has two arms and the baby has two arms
Q: How many slaves are there? (literal)
A: five and a baby
Q: What are the slaves wearing? (literal)
A: They are naked
Q: Why might the slaves not be wearing clothes? (inferential)
A: perhaps the slavers took them, maybe so that they could not hide anything or to enhance the slaves’ feeling of powerlessness, maybe the slaves are not wearing clothes because they are too hot
Next section: up to middle of pg 303- after backward
Q: What does Elijah give to the slaves? (literal)
A: water
Q: What do the slaves look like? Describe their appearance. (literal)
A: crusty nose, bloodshot eyes, hair caked with mud and blood
Q: what does their appearance suggest about the way they have been treated? (inferential)
A: They have been treated harshly
Q: Why does Elijah imply about the character of the slave man when he says” there was something in his eyes that told you this waren’t the kind of man that was likely to be bawling, no matter what happened to him”? (inferential)