TUMBLEBOOKCLOUD JR. LESSON PLAN

COMMON CORE STANDARD – READING: LITERATURE

4CC.RL.2 KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS

Suggested TumbleBookCloud Jr. Text:

DUNCES ANONYMOUS

by Kate Jaimet

This lesson plan is intended to encourage students to read literature closely to comprehend complex literary text while making sense of text by exploring theme and summary. It is designed for grade 4 students and can be used as a whole group study or as part of an independent small group or Literature Circles learning experience for more proficient readers.

LESSON TOPIC: Exploring Text Through Character Development

Common Core Alignment: 4 RL.2 – asks students to determine a theme of a story, drama or poem from details in the text; summarize a text

8 - 10 sessions, 30 – 45 minutes each

Materials/Resources:

- DUNCES ANONYMOUS by Kate Jaimet

- - SmartBoard or white board

- laptops/iPads

- learning logs or journals

- writing utensils, highlighter markers

- story map, book critique, making connections organizers

Strategic Lesson Plan Development:

Introduction:

  • Activate prior knowledge about novels – stories that are longer and require more in-depth telling, chapter organization, multiple changes of setting and multiple characters and events, a problem or multiple problems, solutions and a final conclusion
  • Discuss with students possible genres novels might have (mystery, adventure, coming-of-age, sports, biography, autobiography, historical fiction, science fiction) and what genre this could be (historical fiction/adventure) – focus on narrative, the genre of this particular novel
  • Activate a discussion around ‘reading closely’ – looking for details and clues, being aware not everything is explained outright but may require some deep thinking, comparing and contrasting, making connections with previous knowledge, texts or events
  • Display the e-book from TumbleBookCloud Jr. on the SmartBoard and ask students to consider the front cover and ‘blurb’ – make preliminary predictions about the novel. What do the students think are some differences and similarities the stories will have?
  • Make predictions and record in learning logs/journal

Instruction:

  • Briefly discuss and brainstorm the basic components of a novel – characters, setting, plot or sequence of action and events
  • Develop a plan for reading with the students (suggestions: small groups or partners, establish expected pages/chapters to be read each session, establish a timeline – 8 - 10 sessions with students reading chapters together)
  • Display/introduce the novel and organizers and discuss with students how they will complete them – how often, how many components need to be completed each time, etc.
  • Focus on the story map – students will be tracking the events and impact of the events on the story map as the story unfolds
  • Focus on the ‘making connections’ organizer and explain to students they will need to write a connection at the end of each reading session, using this organizer as a guide
  • Discuss with students the book critique they will need to finish at the end of the novel – these are things they will want to update as they go along with the reading
  • Explain students will be engaging in a read-along experience over a few days as they read-along with the e-book, Dunces Anonymous on TumbleBookCloud Jr.
  • Introduce the novel by selecting one group member or partner to read the first chapter aloud (or listen to it) and ask the students who they think the main character is? What do they already know about him/her? Do they know this from direct or inferred information provided by the author? Discuss the differences and find examples of each in the text.
  • This is what is meant by close reading – watching for details as well as inferences.
  • Explain students will be listening/reading carefully to:
  • Track characters, descriptions, events in learning logs/journals using jot notes as needed, or sketches
  • Complete the ‘story map’ organizer throughout the reading of the story
  • Write connections at the end of each reading, using the ‘making connections’ organizer as a guide
  • Complete the book critique at the end of the novel
  • Create a poster advertising for members of Dunces Anonymous with a descriptive paragraph and represent the theme through the poster

Student Activities:

  • Read/listen to text, take jot notes, discuss characters, events, thoughts, actions
  • Complete the ‘story map’ organizer throughout the reading of the story
  • discuss possible themes (dealing with adversity, meeting challenges, growing up, friendship)
  • Write connections using the ‘making connections’ organizer as a guide
  • Complete the book critique at the end of the novel
  • Create a poster advertising for members of Dunces Anonymous with a descriptive paragraph and represent the theme through the poster

Discussion:

Text-dependent questions

These questions can be used as:

  • ‘discussion starters’
  • for student discussions in pairs or small groups
  • questions to be answered in learning logs/journals
  1. Who is the main character in the novel you are reading? What do you know about him/her? Find evidence in the story.
  2. What is the topic of your novel? The genre? What do you think the theme will be? Why – find evidence.
  3. How realistic do you think this story is? Does it have any connections to your own life? Find evidence to support your ideas.
  4. How did you notice Josh changed through the story? How do Magnolia and Wang change? Find evidence.
  5. What is the problem in the story? Who is having the problem? Are there multiple problems?
  6. What do you think about this story? Do you ever feel like Josh, Magnolia and Wang? Find evidence.
  7. What do the children discover as a result of forming the Dunces Anonymous club? Find evidence.
  8. What is the theme of this novel? Why do you think the author chose this title? What message do you think she was trying to convey? Find evidence.
  9. Would you recommend this story to other students? Why or why not?

Assessment (Formative):

  • In learning log or journal, complete ‘story map’ organizers
  • Write connections for the novel at the end of each reading using the ‘making connections’ organizer as a guide
  • Ill Complete the book critique at the end of the novel
  • Create a poster advertising for members of Dunces Anonymous with a descriptive paragraph and represent the theme through the poster

Making Connections

Good readers make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections using information provided within a text and their schema (background knowledge) for a deeper understanding of a text.

Text-to-Self: Refers to the types of connections that good readers make between

a text they are currently reading and their personal experiences.

Text-to-Text: Refers to the types of connections that good readers make between a

text they are currently reading and a text they have already read.

Text-to-World: Refers to connections that good readers make between a text

they are currently reading and events that have occurred in the

world (past and present).

Sample sentence prompts for making connections:

This part reminds me of…I can relate to the part when…because…

This part makes me think of a time when...Something similar happened to me when…

This character reminds me of...This book relates to…