Community Blog Post 3

Major themes in Into the Wild: 

Desire of Freedom: Chris wants to be in a place where there aren't any rules for him to follow. It is shown that he didn't like when people told him what to do especially his father. When he was talking with Gallien, Chris said that he hated the government's rules; that he won't get a hunting license because it is not the government's business what he is eating. Also, Chris wants freedom from people. He doesn't develop many friendships with anyone because of this. He believes that the "ultimate freedom" requires total isolation so that you don't have obligations to others. Chris lived for his own best interests.

Separation: This can be seen with his separation from his family in the beginning of his journey but also through his separation from society. Chris didn't have morals and views that matched those of societies and as a result left to find a place of his own to fit in. He believed in living off the land and that materialistic goods were not important.

Learning: This entire book is about learning and discovering something greater then what can be taught. It must be learned and that is what Chris was trying to understand and accomplish in the wild.

Forgiveness: This stems from not being able to forgive his parents for their mistakes and makes his hatred towards society even greater. Resulting in the decision to go on this adventure and sparking the rest of the themes throughout the story.

Settings in Into the Wild:

This book follows the travels of Chris McCandless mostly in the western portion of the United States, as well as in Alaska, Mexico, and Virginia. The events in the book span various years but most important events take place in the 1980s and 1990s.

Annandale, VA
This is Chris McCandless' house growing up. I don't think that he considered it his home like his family did since he was quick to leave and never had an interest in going back. 

Carthage, SD
This is the gran elevator that Alex Supertramp (Chris) worked at, owned by Wayne Westerburg.

Fairbanks, AK
He was in the Stampede Trail, near Mt. McKinley.  He settled in Bus 142, a vehicle located twenty-five miles west of Healy. Magic Bus 142 is where Chris found his home, he created it into a place that he could live. Unfortunately this was where he died. 

Community Blog Post 2

"Please return all mail I receive to the sender. It might be a very long time before I return South. If this adventure proves fatal and you don't ever hear from me again, I want you to know you're a great man. I now walk into the wild." Into the Wild, 69

In this passage shows growth of the character in the sense that he now realizes that there is chance for failure and fatality. I don't believe that his intent was to die or that this trip was suicidal but he was preparing himself and others for the wilderness and unpredictability of the future. McCandless feels that this trip is worth it and any nomad would say the same thing, his excitement and joy of living completely independently and free is seen in his last letter to Westerberg, a good friend of his that gave him jobs and a ride when he was found hitchhiking. The fact that McCandeless wrote a final post card to this friend shows his kindness and value of friends, although he left his family behind he kept in touch with his new friends that helped him along the way of his journey.

Community Blog Post 1

I chose to read Into the Wild, I chose this because of the adventurous aspect of the story. I am currently in the travel bug mood and with many big trips coming up this summer I wanted to read something that related to it. I think that a great way for students to connect to the community through this would be to search around their town and find the materials and information that they would need to pull this off. The class then throughout the unit track the moves of the main character by doing it as a class. This will allow a fun and hands on activity but also allow them to be in the story also. An activity that they could do in groups in their community is volunteering in nature. I know around here there are many nature walks that need to be cleaned and also activities at the local beaches that need to be run. This would be a great way for students to give back to the community while being in nature. At the end of the novel I might have them create a presentation (depending on the age) about what they did. Also as a piece of the project I would have them take pictures to show their work as a class working in the community to the whole school. Then other teachers might be able to encourage the idea!

Discussion Lessons & Reflection

Lesson 1: Techie Lesson

 LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Name: Lauren Rivet

Date: April 19, 2017

I. LESSON FOUNDATION

Lesson Title: Character Study and Story Elements Comparison

Lesson Number w/in Unit: 3

Unit Title: Study of Character Elements

Grade Level(s): 3^rd Grade                                                                 Time Allotted: 65 Minutes

Subject Area(s)/Subject Content Explanation: Language Arts/ Text Features

 Standard(s)/Anchors:

-RL.3.9: Compare and contrast the themes, settings and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).

-W.3.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details and clear event sequences.

Essential Question(s): What components of a story can we compare? What is the same/ different about the settings? How are the plots the same/ different? How are the themes the same/ different?

Instructional Objective(s): Students will demonstrate their knowledge of character study and story elements study by creating a story of their own with the essential elements; characters, setting, plot, tone, and conflict.

Formative Assessment: This is mainly going to be through questioning when they are filling out the worksheet as a class.

Summative Assessment: Their creation of their own story on the IPads.

II. LESSON BODY

INTRODUCTION: Read aloud Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse and Lilly’s Big Day by Kevin Henkes. Encourage students to discuss Lilly’s character traits in both stories, and have them help you fill in the Character Analysis chart. This is made to be group work so that all the students are gaining the same knowledge through the introduction.

TEACHING PROCEDURES:

1.     Tell students you would like them to help you compare the different elements of each story, such as the theme, plot and setting.

2.     As a class, use the Story Elements chart to identify the elements in each story.

3.     Compare and contrast your findings from each story. For example, you might ask:

·      What is the same about the stories’ settings? What is different?

·      How are the plots similar? How is the plot different in each story?

·      How are the themes the same/different?

4. At the end of this lesson the teacher will give the students a chance to fill out their response logs in their journals. The teacher will look at them and address any questions/ comments/ concerns the next day.

Must include:

*Description of Method(s) Used to Present Subject Matter – Whole class reading instruction.

*Guided Practice – Filling out the Story Elements Chart as a class, identifying the elements that should be included in their story using the stories read as a class. The comparing and contrasting of the 2 stories is also done as a whole group.

*Independent Practice –

1.     Have students create their own creative story about Lilly. (Suggest titles such as Lilly’s Ballet Debut, Lilly’s First Soccer Game, Lilly’s Spelling Test, Lilly’s Art Project, Lilly’s Lost Library Book, Lilly’s Show and Tell Day and so on.)

2.     Before students begin, discuss Lilly’s character traits (e.g., determined, persistent, confident, misunderstood, well-meaning, envious, et al.). Talk about problems that might arise in a variety of settings, and how she might solve them. Ask students:

·       What would an appropriate setting be for this story?

·       What problem in the plot will Lilly overcome?

·       Which other familiar characters might appear in your story?

3.     Have students write and illustrate their stories in a rough draft form of still frames and then allow them to use My Story app to put their stories into a final draft form.

CLOSURE: Have students share their ideas for their stories so far. Have them explain a few elements to their story with the class so that the teacher can see what they have completed in the time given. Students will also fill out their response logs so that they can communicate any questions they might have for the teacher.

III. LESSON ESSENTIALS

DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

In this activity nothing is differentiated because the material that they are creating is their own versions of this story. Some students might be differentiated through process of creating their rough drafts by skipping it and moving to the final draft on the Ipad, however most students will be able to do it. This is going to be a time that students will be able to talk quietly so some students might need to go to a different space to work effectively.

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES, MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY:

Lesson Plan & Materials: http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/general_content/free_resources/teachers_corner/lessonplan.jsp?lessonplan=characterStudy

App: App Store – My Story App

 Lesson 2: Traditional Lesson

 LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Name: Lauren Rivet

Date: April 20, 2017

I. LESSON FOUNDATION

Lesson Title: Elements of a Story                                                                            

Lesson Number w/in Unit: 5

Unit Title: Study of Character Elements

Grade Level(s): 3^rd Grade                                         Time Allotted: 65 Minutes

Subject Area(s)/Subject Content Explanation: Language Arts/ Text Features

            Standard(s)/Anchors:

-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.1- Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3- Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.6- Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.

Essential Question(s): What are the main elements to a story? What evidence can we use to support what the setting, problem and solution are in the story? What describing words can we use to describe the character in the story?

Instructional Objective(s): Following the lesson on the elements of the story, students will be able to identify the five elements of a story directly from text.

Students will be able to list the five elements. Students will be able to recite them allowed when asked. Students will be able to differentiate between all the elements. Students will be able to verbally explain what the characteristics of each and why we use them.

Formative Assessment: Using the discussion technique of “just one more question” during discussion to allow for more complex and higher level thinking. This assessment will mainly be verbal as it is participation in the discussion. Also the students will be assessed on the class discussion while filling in the large pieces of paper with the information evidence from the story.

Summative Assessment: The story pyramid worksheet at the end of the lesson.

II. LESSON BODY

INTRODUCTION: Allows students to look at the cover of the book, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Give them the chance to ask questions and make connections. Many students will have read the book before so don’t allow them to share the storyline/ main events. Talk about the genre of the story and what that means for the storyline and characters.

TEACHING PROCEDURES:

1.     Read the book to the class. Ask students to keep in mind the setting, characters, events, problem/conflict, and solution.

2.     The teacher will hand out post it notes so that students can write down their questions throughout the reading. The teacher has previously taught the students that their questions should start with What if…?; Suppose we knew…?; What would change if…? Suppose we knew…?  Students will write the questions on post it notes to be collated and saved for follow up visits as they read. 

3.     After we are finished reading the book, ask the class if it was a "good story," an "interesting story," a "well-written story." I would then explain

that we will now look at the elements or parts of what makes up a good story. This is the time that the teacher will collect post its and share with the class. Names will be written on the post its so the teacher can assess questions but will not share who created the question with the class.

4.     We would then take Several large sheets of paper each labeled: Characters, Setting, Problem, Events, Solution. I would start with the large sheet of paper with the word "SETTING" on it. I would explain to the class that he setting is where and when the story takes place. I would then ask the students to tell the setting of the book. For each response I would have them refer back to the book by saying "how does it tell us that?" and help the students remember a passage or a phrase. Write down what the students give you for the setting. Repeat the process for "CHARACTERS," "PROBLEM," "EVENTS" and "SOLUTION."

5.     I would then split the class into groups of three. In their groups they would have to complete the following worksheet. After they complete the worksheet and write their name on it, they are to turn it in for a grade of completion and understanding. The point of the worksheet is to see if they understand what the elements of a story are and where to find them within a story. (See worksheet attached)

6.      The class will be instructed to return to their seats for the final activity. As a class, they are going to create a fictional story, teacher included. Each person is going to begin a story by writing only one complete sentence. (For instance: Once upon a time on a very dark and stormy night, all the lights blew out in Peter's house.) Wait until each student has completed his/her sentence then the teacher will say, "Everyone pass your paper to the right." The person to the right of you will read the sentence before them and proceed to write the next sentence. Continue passing the papers to the right, having them add only one new sentence each time they receive a paper. The more sentences in the story, the longer writing time is needed. Continue this process until each person receives her/his initial paper with her/his beginning sentence.

Once each person has received his/her initial paper, s/he should read the story and write one concluding sentence. Each person will then read his/her story aloud to the class.

Must include:

*Description of Method(s) Used to Present Subject Matter – Whole class reading and pairs of student’s instruction.

*Guided Practice – Filling out the large pieces of paper about the story elements, using evidence to support answers from the story.

*Independent Practice – The story pyramid that is created by students at the end of the lesson.

CLOSURE: The closure of this lesson is the students sharing the stories that they have all created together as a class. Allowing the students to have a fun, creative aspect of the lesson.

III. LESSON ESSENTIALS

DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING ACTIVITIES: For this lesson I wouldn’t have much modified in the process or product because the work that they are doing independently can be assisted with verbal ques. The groups would be paired fairly random since they are such big groups and several kids are in each. If a student has a hard time sitting on the rug then I might have them sit in a chair during the direct instruction/ discussion part of the lesson.

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES, MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY:

·      Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

·      Large post it note (whole class)

·      Small post it notes

·      Worksheets

·      Lined paper

Reflection: The reason that I chose the 2 discussion methods are because they are very different, although both anonymous, students using a journal or notebook to convey their questions/ comments/ concerns is very different then coming up with questions that relate to the reading and are developing a higher order thinking. One is more reflection and the other is developing further thinking. Both of which can bring great discussions to the table! Many of my discussion questions that were in my lesson plans were around how I thought that the conversation would go with my students at that age level. They also were created so that they could be changed easily for differentiation among students. I think that the 2 different pieces of literature that I picked for my lesson allow students to have the experience with different types of literature, one being a classic and the other one not. They both are fun books that without a doubt will bring out the creative side of the students in the final results. 

Discussion Strategies

"Thunks": Thunking is when a teacher presents a question to the class that seems simple in the beginning but after a moment of thought it makes the students look differently at the world. This is a great way to start lessons because it gets children thinking in a less formal way. There is no commitment to have an answer but it also gives student the time to get in the right state of mind for the activity. I believe that students need to be taught to ask better questions, as I have mentioned before my professor used to have us start class with asking questions. He wanted us to ask the questions we really wanted the answers to and not "beat around the bush". This taught us to be direct with our questions and sometimes they were open ended because he didn't know the answer.

In this world we are taught that there is a solid answer for everything but if there is an answer for everything then why are we still asking questions? When students have questions that stump everyone that is good! Discussion doesn't come from yes/ no questions, we want the "because". In articles that I read there are logic questions that could be included in this, it doesn't always have to be something that has no answer at all. This will help students in the beginning to think outside of the box and develop their higher order thinking skills. I love this idea and see myself even starting my morning message with one. Just a fun way to start the day!

"Question Continuum": This involves the students getting into pairs and developing questions about the topic they are learning about. Once the students have created the questions on sticky notes they are then put on the board. The students then rate each others questions on how well they are written. This give students the chance to get feedback on their questions and it is also anonymous which will help the students feel confident in their work since no one will now who's is who's.

This is a picture of the activity that I found in my research, with this example the teacher is scaling the students questions based on how well they promote discovery. This exact model is what is going to promote discussion because the discovery piece is what will make the students think further into the question. I think that this is great for conversation because as the students become better with developing questions they will be able to look further into more questions.

"Question Wall": The question wall is exactly that, a wall with questions that students have during the day. This is a great way for students who may not feel confident asking questions to still have their voice heard. In my research I found that teachers have separate parts of the wall for different subjects so that they can contain the questions to certain parts of the day and then answer them the next day during that lesson. This could also be a great way to start lessons since it would be pulling the students into the particular subjects.

The great part about this discussion technique is that it is great for all ages, this is an example from a younger grade and is sectioned off by topic. The students are given special times (snack, lunch, recess, read aloud time, morning work time) that are appropriate times to do this. Each student also could have a sticky note pad on their desk so that they can write it when they think of it and put it up later at a better time versus during the instruction time. Allowing students this time to reflect is great for reaching all students since others that have the same questions that won't ask them are still having the chance to get their answers.

"Literary Log": This is the same thought of the question wall but it is less public. The students have a notebook that they are recording about their book in, this allows them to write down what they want to share before hand so that they are not put on the spot. The prompt could change week to week with what the teacher is focusing on during reading and then they get to share in a large group setting. If the teacher doesn't get a chance for all students to share then he/she can look at the notebooks another time. This could also be where students write about how their book is going, if it is too easy/ too hard, whether they would recommend it to other students etc. It is a great place for reflection that is private and between the student and teacher only since other students won't see it. I foresee this creating a great discussion because it is not a substantial amount of work for students to do in order to participate in the discussion.

Summarizer, Illustrator, Travel Tracer

Summarizer: In this section of the story (the ending) Jack and Annie decide to be patient and follow the directions from Marlin. Before they know it they have figured out all the clues and have used a flying lion and Neptune, God of the Sea, to save The Grand Lady of the Lagoon (Venice). As Jack and Annie are leaving Venice they notice that one of their Gondoliers has the same ring as Teddy. Although Kathleen and Teddy had told Jack and Annie that they would be alone; they never were really alone. Jack and Annie return home and keep the magic book with them for safe keeping.

Travel Tracer:

• Pg. 76 "The lion shook his mane and yawned. He had huge, sharp teeth, and a long pink tongue. His ears twitched. His tufted tail swayed back and forth. The lion crouched and leapt off the ledge like a cat. He spread his wings and caught a strong current of wind."

• Pg. 103 

          "The wind started to blow.
           The tree house started to spin.
           It spun faster and faster.
           Then everything was still.
           Absolutely still."
*I love this line, as much as it shows movement in the story Mary Pope Osborne puts it at the beginning and end of every book when Jack and Annie are leaving and coming back from their adventures. It is a line that has stuck with me all these years and I have memorized since these were my favorite books growing up! It's her trademark for sure!


Illustrator:

This is Neptune: The God of the Sea, He played a major part in this section of the story as he saved all of Venice from major flooding.

This is an example of the flying lion that took Jack and Annie to Neptune. The kids had to use their magic book to turn him from stone to real life.

Literature Circle Jobs: Literary Luminary, Director, Researcher

This section of the book that I read (pg. 35- 72) was packed with action and quite enjoyable!

Director: Some questions that I had throughout the sections to promote discussion were-

• Would you be scared of getting caught in the palace?
• How would you feel if you get put into jail?
• When a bell rings 11 times what does that mean? Have you ever heard a bell ring on a clock?
• What do you think will happen in the next section of reading?

Literary Luminary: Some passages that I thought were amazingly written and helped move the story forward.

• pg. 38 "They stepped through the doorway. A fire blazed on the hearth. Overhead many candles burned brightly. The dancing flames cast shadows on a marble floor and carved gold ceiling."
• I love this paragraph because of its describing words and the visual that it creates in my mind when I read it. I feel that I can really see the room.
• pg. 55 "All the clocks in Venice tell different times. Which one is right?" "None!" the old man called. "That is one of the wonderful things about our city. Venice is timeless!"
• I love that they use the clocks in this story to show that Venice is timeless, it adds to the setting that the author creates and makes it more magical.
• pg. 60 "Those with imaginations, like my father, my brother, and myself"
• In order to read Magic Tree House books you need to be willing to open you mind and use your imagination. Otherwise you will never be able to be emerged into the story like the author wants you to be. 

Researcher: What I love about Magic Tree House is that it in the story Jack and Annie have to do research about the topics that they are talking about in order to complete their mission. This allows the reader to not have to do extra research in order to understand the story. 

Literature Circle Jobs: Vocabulary Enricher, Connector, Summarizer

Here are some words that I found might be difficult for students grades 3-5 to understand while they are reading Magic Tree House #33: Carnival at Candlelight.

Vocabulary Enricher:

• tousled (verb): to make something untidy
• realm (noun): a kingdom
• sorcerers (noun): a person who claims or is believed to have magic powers; a wizard.
• chime (noun): a bell or a metal bar or tube, typically one of a set tuned to produce a melodious series of ringing sounds when struck.

Summary of the story: pg. 1- 35

In the first 35 pages of the book there was a lot that happened, Jack and Annie are brother and sister and they have a magic tree house. The story starts as a dream and Jack and Annie have the same dream about 2 people being in their tree house. They decide to go check it out and sure enough their friends Kathleen and Teddy are there. The two are apprentices to Morgan le Fay, who gives Jack and Annie their missions. This time however, Jack and Annie are starting the Merlin Mission, which is 4 journeys around the world and as a result of completion will be able to get their own magic. 

Jack and Annie find out they are going to Venice, Italy in order to save the Grand Lady of the Lagoon from a disaster that is about to occur. At the end of this section Jack and Annie had just snuck into the Ruler's Palace. I wonder what they will find in there!

Connector:

Text to Text: In this story Jack and Annie's dreams are real life and in many other stories this is a common occurrence and even in material that we create ourselves, we have a common theme of people waking up from dreams and it coming true.

Text to Self: In the story Jack and Annie sneak into the palace and even though I have not snuck into a palace I have done some sneaking before. When I was little my mom made me go to my room and she took my TV away so I snuck into where my TV was and carried it back into my room to watch it! She was not very happy!

This is my first shot at blogger! I will be reading a Magic Tree House book, as I used to love reading them when I was younger! I look forward to this weeks assignment and sharing with all of you one of my favorite series! Happy reading everyone!

Lauren