This literature appreciation lesson is designed for eighth grade students. Students will be exploring themes through picture books. The lesson will be complementing a unit they are beginning in their Social Studies class about World War II. It will also prepare them to better understand the themes they will be discussing in their English class as they read Stones In Water by Donna Jo Napoli. The students will work in small groups analyzing picture books dealing with the themes of friendship, loyalty, prejudice and war/conflict. For their final presentation, students will use role playing, drama, puppet shows, or other creative representations to share the importance of and their understanding of their theme.

Instructional Goals

 

Students will:

• Understand the term “theme” and what it implies.
• Make connections between picture books with the same theme.
• Use some form of creative representation to share the importance of their theme in a meaningful way.

Learning Objectives

• Eighth grade students will demonstrate their understanding of theme by providing a definition and/or one example.
• Eighth grade students will demonstrate their ability to make text-to-text and text-to-life connections by providing one example of each.
• Eighth grade students will synthesize their response to the texts and their understanding of their theme in a meaningful and creative way through a final presentation to the class.

Motivational Goals

• Generate interest in reading the picture books.
• Build students confidence in their ability to critically evaluate literature.
• Promote the value of being able to find deeper meaning and connections in literature.
• Encourage students to express their understanding and creativity.

 

Computers

 

BuILder online lesson http://www.informationliteracy.org/builder/1361

 

Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco, chart paper or blackboard

 

Buckets of picture books representing themes of friendship, loyalty, prejudice, and war/conflict

 

Supplemental handout for double entry journal (you will need several pages copied for each student); pencils

 

As groups begin to move into their creative representation, there may be other art, music, and drama materials that will need to be made available to them.

This lesson was designed to prepare these students for a deeper discussion of theme as it relates to the book Stones in Water by Donna Jo Napoli. The use of picture books will stimulate their interest about certain topics and lead to more thoughtful discussions when they move to more challenging texts. It will coincide with the Social Studies teaching of World War II. The lesson will take place over a two-week period during English class time and will be co-taught by the library teacher and the English teacher.

 

Introduction

 

1.Begin the unit by discussing the term theme and what it implies. This may be done using the buILder lesson located at http://www.informationliteracy.org/builder/1361

2.Read aloud the book Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco to the class. Students will work in pairs to discuss their responses to the theme of this story.

3. Once the theme of friendship is identified, have the class create a web chart identifying other examples of this theme from books they have read, current movies, their own life, etc.

4. Students will then be divided into small groups. Each group will be assigned a theme that will show up in their reading of Stones in Water.

5. Explain to the class that, over the next couple of weeks, they will each be reading the picture books in their buckets. They can each read them separately or take turns reading them aloud to their small group. They can re-read them as they feel necessary. Within their small groups, they will be discussing the theme and connections between the books. They will be encouraged to share personal connections, deeper understanding and any questions they may have with their group. They will be sharing their likes and dislikes and how the illustrations work with the text to tell the story. Each student will be required to make at least one entry in their double-entry journal for each book. In the first column, they will write a quote or illustration from the book that relates to their theme. In the second column, they will respond to the quote or illustration. Tell the class that after their group has read and discussed the books, they will be selecting one or more books that they feel led to the best discussion or had the most profound effect on them in regards to the theme. For their final presentation they will be sharing the importance of their theme and their discussions with the class in a meaningful way. They may use some form of creative representation, including role playing, dramatization, music, art, or a puppet show.

6. Answer any questions students may have about their assignment.

 

Methods, Media, Materials

 

• Lecture, read-aloud, web chart, discussion
• buILder
• Computers, Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco, chart paper or blackboard

 

Body

1.Begin this session by reviewing the basic instructions for this unit. Answer any questions the students may have.

2.  Have the students split into their groups. Each group will receive a bucket of picture books that represent each of the themes (friendship, loyalty, prejudice, and war/conflict). Each student will receive a double entry journal packet that they will use for this unit and when reading Stones in Water. (See attached supplemental handout)

3.   Explain to the students that their task for the next several periods will be to read and discuss the books in their bucket in relation to their theme. They will also need to make at least one journal entry for each of the books.

4.While the students are working in their small groups, the library teacher and the English teacher will rotate amongst the groups, providing motivational and informative feedback as necessary.

5.   Students will continue to work on reading the books, discussing, making journal entries and creating their final project in English class over the next couple of weeks with both the library teacher and the English teacher available to assist.

 

Methods, Media, Materials

 

• Discussion, review, small group work, journal writing, motivational and informative feedback.
• Buckets of picture books representing themes of friendship, loyalty, prejudice,   and war/conflict; supplemental handout for double entry journal (you will need several pages copied for each student); pencils
• As groups begin to move into their creative representation, there may be other art, music, drama materials that will need to be made available to them.

Conclusion

 

1. Begin the final session by discussing what theme is and how it is used in literature.

2.  Library teacher and English teacher should give motivational feedback based on what they observed during small group discussions and in the double entry journals.

3.   At this point, students will have synthesized what they have discovered through reading their picture books and discussing the theme in their small groups. They will have created their final creative representation.

4. Have each group present their final project to the class. (Depending on the length of their presentations, this may take two class periods).

5. When all presentations are complete, have a wrap up discussion about the themes that were represented.

6. Have students give feedback about their overall experience using picture books to gain a deeper understanding of themes in literature.

 

Methods, Media, Materials

 

• Motivational feedback, review, discussion, questioning, presentations (by students), student feedback.
• Students’ final presentations

 

Assessment Methods

1. Through discussion with students at the end of project, the library teacher and the English teacher will evaluate students' understanding of theme.
2. The library teacher and the English teacher will observe students' discussions in their small groups to determine how successfully they are making connections between the picture books and their theme.
3. The library teacher and the English teacher will check over each group's double entry journals to evaluate students' understanding of theme and ability to make connections.
4. The library teacher and the English teacher will observe and evaluate the final creative representations by each group to determine that they were able to synthesize their response to the texts and share their understanding of the theme in a meaningful way.
5. The library teacher and the English teacher will interact with the students in their small groups throughout the project.
6. The library teacher and the English teacher will observe students' excitement, interest and growing confidence about analyzing literature by their participation in their small group discussions.

English teacher, Social Studies teacher, Library teacher