Character Education through Literacy

Grades 5 through 8

Dr. Mary Ann Reilly, CEO

Blueprints for Learning, Inc.
36 Laurel Place
Ringwood, NJ 0745
blueprints1@optonline.net
973-617-7388

Part I
Introduction

Introduction
Over 2,000 years ago in his Republic, Plato asked,
Shall we just carelessly allow children to hear any casual tales which may be devised by
casual persons, and to receive into their minds ideas for the most part the very opposite
of those which we should wish them to have when they are grown up?
As we approach the 21st Century we know unequivocally the answer is no.
We cannot Anything received into the mind at that age is likely to become indelible and
unalterable; and therefore it is most important that the tales which the young first hear
should be models of virtuous thoughtsChildren need to read and hear stories that
will enrich and ennoble them.
This curriculum guide is intended to provide teachers with an integrated plan for infusing
a character education program into their language arts literacy curriculum. The stories
contained within are based on six widely accepted, pivotally important core ethical
values: caring, respect, responsibility, justice and fairness, trustworthiness, citizenship
and civic virtue. Locating the teaching of character education inside a literacy framework
is a means of sharing with our students the stories of others ethical dilemmas that they
may better understand the moral dilemmas of their own lives. Through the interaction
with narratives, and through discussions with peers and a caring teacher, we believe
children will learn to appreciate the validity of these values, and our obligation as
members of a democratic society to uphold them.
Understanding Cassies motivations (in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry) as she plots
revenge against Lillian Jean allows us to examine our own motivations and actions.
Questioning whether Jonas (in The Giver) behaves like a good citizen within his
community can facilitate conversations about what good citizenship means in a broader
society. Stories allow us to reflect upon lifes lessons. They confirm our human dignity
and express our common humanity. Thus, we need to insure that our children can
comprehend the stories of others, and create their own written stories. This guide will
explain the process. Each of the lessons is based on powerful literacy structures and
strategies designed to assist our students in becoming successful readers and writers
while promoting their development as individuals.
In Part One, you will be introduced to the six core ethical values and to the literacy
structures used to support the childrens character education. Part Two lists the
character education texts by grade level. Part Three is a collection of character education
sample lessons and instructional moves for grades 5 through 8 that focus on the six core
ethical values. Part Four contains an appendix including explanations of the literacy
strategies found in the sample lessons and blank forms for use in the lessons.

Standard American texts from well before the twentieth century identify schooling with
moral instruction. Implicitly, instruction embedded with civic virtue has been identified
by Arthur N. Applebee (1974) among others. Literature is an aesthetic or personal
experience with claims to be taken seriously for its own intrinsic or its personally
deepening sake so as to arouse in such teachers the same consternation that imaginative
poetry awakened in Plato. For moral and philosophical critical thinking, literature is the
vehicle for arriving at more serious intellectual and moral matters.
We are interested in learning how you and your children interact with this curriculum;
what kind of impact these stories have on your lives, inside and outside your classroom.
This curriculum is a suggested path of study. Many other paths may be located in your
own classrooms. We hope that students will come to know, to feel and to behave in
accordance with the values presented in this guide.
Notes on the Middle Grades:
In the middle grades, students move from childhood to adolescence. As teachers, we
encourage them to find their voices as writers and citizens in classrooms and the larger
fabric of society in which they live. Effective literacy programs foster active, responsible
learning. They help students begin to use literacy as a tool that gives them the power to
find information they need, to express their opinions, and to wrestle with complex
systems of values and ethical issues.
Students in the middle grades are also undergoing some important cognitive changes. We
can identify four dimensions of cognitive development that begin in the intermediate
years and continue into adolescence. Students change:

From concrete to more abstract ways of thinking.

From an egocentric perspective to a social perspective.

From simplistic views of human motivation to a more complex understanding of

people and relationships between people.

From simpler concepts to higher-order conceptualizing and theorizing.

Notes to the Teacher

Before introducing any of the Character Education texts to your class,
elicit their prior knowledge (and therewith increase their intrinsic
motivation) and build background by providing sufficient time for
discussion of each of the Six Core Ethical Values (p.9-10). While
facilitating these discussions, guide your students in their responses,
as together you record a shared understanding for each of these
values. Students might be asked to discuss elements of the values in
pairs, triads, or in larger collaborative groups. Students might also
engage in a series of journal prompts around each of the values being
discussed. These entries should be kept in character education
journals. This initial series of activities can be conducted over the
course of several days, or be extended over several weeks, depending
on your students needs.
Principles of Character Education: While introducing the core
character education values, introduce the class to the six principles of
character education (p. 11-12). These principles are as follows:
Character education promotes core ethical values as the
basis of good character
Character must be comprehensively defined to include
thinking, feeling, and behavior
The classroom must be a caring community
To develop character, students need opportunities for moral
action
Effective character education includes a meaningful and
challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners
and helps them succeed
Character education should strive to develop students
intrinsic motivation

 Small group instruction, including collaborative and cooperative

discussion groups (p.13-14) can take place throughout the course of
the school year as students are exploring character education texts (p.
20). There are two titles each for grades 5 through 8. This guide
contains sample lessons and curriculum for each of these titles. These
lessons contain final exhibitions, pre-, during and post-reading
experiences, and essential questions. Also present are opportunities
for teachers to engage in reciprocal teaching (p.66-67) while
maintaining a focus on writing and performing, as well as multiplemedia approaches for processing text.
In scheduling small group instruction, you may decide to form small
groups for different purposes throughout the unit of study around a
novel. Some groups might be formed for short-term purposes
contained in a single class, whereas some might be constructed to
address a culminating final exhibition, and thus remain in place for
several weeks. In addition, students can periodically work in pairs (for
peer response) or groups of four (for WEDGE, p. 92).
Whole class instruction with character education texts can take place
throughout the course of the unit of study, using read-alouds, minilessons (p.14-15), and whole class discussions. By using read-alouds,
for instance, even the less able readers will benefit rom interaction
with these novels and related literature. Students can respond to readalouds in their character education journals.
Journaling can play a prominent role in character education as well. A
reader response journal is a folder or notebook in which students react
to their reading. Writing can be regularly assigned for students to
complete in their journals. When children write, they can discover
more about what they think and feel about a text. Additionally,
students can think about character education values in the same vein.
Not only are students learning through writing, but their writing is
constantly available for reflection and sharing. Journaling will also
make students better readers by:
Engaging in critical thinking and learning about how to
interpret a text.
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 Connecting reading and writing.

Developing flexibility in responding and going beyond simple
retelling or answering questions.
Using the journal to promote and support discussion.
Formulating thoughtful and personal responses to what they
read.
Responding and reflecting continually during the reading of a
text.
Engaging in meaningful independent work while the teacher
works with differentiated groups of students.
Collecting, examining, and using interesting words and
language patterns.
Examining the writers craft and recording the techniques they
notice for later discussion and use in their own writing.
Sketching or drawing to express their understanding in images
as a support for discussion or writing.

Character Education Values

Caring

Caring is empathy realized and compassion actualized. For it is through compassion that
our sense of identification with another occurs. Caring demonstrates our connections with
others. There are many ways you can care about, share with, and serve others: with your
actions; with your words; with your thoughts; and with material gifts.

Civic Virtue & Citizenship

The respect for ones country and ones fellow citizens is essential in a democracy.
Activism, participation, community service, love of freedom, and patriotism are all
aspects of civic virtue and citizenship. Citizenship usually refers to your membership in,
responsibility toward, or contribution to your community and nation.

Justice & Fairness

Fairness, the conviction of what is good for me, should be considered in relation to what
is good for everyone else. Eleanor Roosevelt said that Justice cannot be for one side
alone, but must be for both.

Respect

Respect means using good manners; being courteous and polite; speaking to others in a
kind voice; using polite body language; showing consideration toward other people;
honoring other peoples wants, needs, ideas, differences, and heritage; caring for other
living things and the earth; and obeying the rules, laws, customs of your family,
community and country.

Responsibility

"What is faith worth if it is not translated into action." -- Mahatma Ghandi

Responsibility is about understanding that much of what needs to be done, or what we
would like to see done, can be in our own hands. As a human being there are many types
of responsibility, such as: moral responsibility to other people, animals and earth; legal
responsibility to the laws and ordinances of your community, state, and country; family
responsibility to and for your parents, siblings, and other relatives; community
responsibility for treating others as you want to be treated, for participating in community
activities and decisions, and for being an active, contributing citizen; and personal
responsibility for being a person of good character.

Trustworthiness
Honesty

Honesty involves being truthful, sincere, honorable, fair, trustworthy and genuine.
Dishonest thoughts can often lead to dishonest actions. Ann Landers writes that The
naked truth is always better than the best-dressed lies. Truthfulness is a keystone to
being honest with one's self and others.

Integrity

Integrity is rooted in an unalterable internalized moral code. When under pressure it is

the ability to resist betraying others or one's self.

Promise Keeping

Promise keeping is the ability to maintain anothers trust. It can also be the ability and
the will to decide, within certain contexts, the efficacy, importance, and wisdom of
maintaining that trust.

Six Principles of Character Education

Character Education promotes core ethical values as the basis of good character.
Character education holds, as a starting philosophical principle, that there are widely
shared, pivotally important core ethical values such as caring, honesty, fairness,
responsibility, and respect for self and others that form the basis of good character. A
teacher committed to character education explicitly names and publicly stands for these
values; promulgates them to all members of the school community defines them in terms
of behaviors that can be observed in the life of the classroom; models these values;
studies and discusses them; uses them as the basis of human relations in the classroom;
and upholds them by making all students accountable to standards of conduct consistent
with the core values.
Character must be comprehensively defined to include thinking, feeling, and
behavior.
In an effective character education program, character is broadly conceived to encompass
cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of the moral life. The task of character
education therefore is to help students know the good, value it, and act upon it. As
students grow in their character, they will develop an increasingly refined understanding
of the core values, a deeper commitment to living according to those values, and a
stronger tendency to behave in accordance with those values.
The classroom must be a caring community.
The classroom itself must embody good character. It should progress toward becoming a
microcosm of the civil, caring, and just society we seek to create as a nation. All children
and adolescents have a need to belong, and they are more likely to internalize the values
and expectations of groups that meet this need.
To develop character, students need opportunities for moral action.
In the ethical as in the intellectual domain, students are constructive learners; they learn
best by doing. To develop good character, they need many and varied opportunities to
apply values such as responsibility and fairness in everyday interactions and discussions.
By grappling with real-life challenges how to divide the labor in a cooperative learning
group, how to reach consensus in a class meeting, how to reduce fights in the school
playground students develop practical understanding of the requirements of fairness,
cooperation, and respect.
Effective character education includes a meaningful and challenging academic
curriculum that respects all learners and helps them succeed.
Character education and academic learning must not be conceived as separate spheres;
rather there must be a strong, mutually supportive relationship between the two. In a

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caring classroom where students feel liked and respected by their teachers and fellow
students, students are more likely to work hard and achieve. Reciprocally, when students
are enabled to succeed at the work of school, they are more likely to feel valued and
cared about as persons. A character education classroom makes effective use of teaching
and learning methods such as cooperative learning, problem-solving approaches,
experience-based project, etc. One of the most authentic ways to respect children is to
respect the way they learn.
Character education should strive to develop students intrinsic motivation.
As students develop good character, they develop a stronger inner commitment to doing
what their moral judgment tells them is right. Within the academic curriculum, intrinsic
motivation should be fostered in every way possible. This can be done by increasing the
relevance of the subject matter, by providing choice, and by connecting the curriculum to
the students in meaningful ways.

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Literacy Structures
I. READING ALOUD (Small Group/Whole Class)
Throughout the school year, teachers read aloud sections of the novels that are linked to
one or more of the six character education values. Teachers can read aloud the character
education texts for about fifteen minutes each day, allowing time after reading aloud for
classroom discussion of about ten to fifteen minutes. Character education texts can be
read aloud three to five times per week depending on the class schedule.
Reading aloud as a literacy practice is the single most influential factor in young
children's success in reading. Further it improves students' listening skills, builds
vocabulary, aids reading comprehension, and produces a positive impact on students'
attitudes toward reading.
II. SMALL GROUP LITERATURE DISCUSSION (25-30 MINUTES)
Using the sample Character Education Lesson Guides, the teacher can help students
construct meaning and extend understanding through engagement in meaningful
conversations around the texts.
Some features of these groups might include:

Size - the sizes of groups should vary to accommodate the task that the students
are undertaking
Stability - English teachers who use groups consistently usually vary the
composition of their groups. All students come to know each other, and effective
groups result. Change vitalizes group interaction and strengthens one group
advantage: students come to know each other more personally, and therefore will
be more accountable to each other in a caring community.
Selection - Placing students in groups can be done by the teacher, the students, or
random chance.
Structure - One of the hazards for students who are inexperienced with groups is
aimlessness. Group work can seem indistinguishable from informal chatter. A
strategy that encourages active involvement of all members of a group is to assign
a specific role to each member, for instance, that of leader or group facilitator,
researcher, recorder, writer, reporter, compromiser, or time manager. Each role
has specific duties and responsibilities, and the roles are complimentary to each

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other. Students profit from the opportunity to take on a wide spectrum of

functions and roles.

Self-consciousness - It is important to deliberately introduce and orient students to

the collaborative skills necessary for group effectiveness: how decisions are
made, how typical group roles function, the possible pitfalls and problems that
sometimes arise in small group work, and the potential advantages of the process.

III. JOURNAL WRITING

In response to character dilemmas, pictures, and read texts, students will keep a character
education journal. This journal should serve as a means for students to generate selfrelevant texts.
IV. FISHBOWLING
Four to five discussants talk together about a specific topic (related to character
education) in the center of a ring formed by the rest of their classmates sitting outside the
inner circle, listening and observing. The small group discussion is public, yet it still
shares the qualities of a more private small group. After the discussants have concluded
their talk, the listeners can respond in discussion with the whole class or in small groups.
V. SIMULATION (ROLE-PLAYING)
To invite students into an imaginative situation in which they construct and enact a role
different from their own or solve an imaginary dilemma - but it is undertaken in a group.
These imaginative situations can be derived directly from situations investigated in the
novels chosen for use with character education.
VI. MINI-LESSONS
Information about skills can be presented in any or all of the following forms:

5-15 minute whole-group gatherings at the beginning of the class. Here, focused
lessons on grammar, syntax, structure, vocabulary, spelling and strategy can come
from patterns identified by the teacher and will be beneficial to all students.

Direct teaching towards the end of the class. Often, students share their writing

13

here, so teaching needs to come in the form of supporting the students who are
taking risks in their writing.

Information provided in the middle of the class. Since teachers are constantly
assessing then needs of the learners in a classroom, sometimes the "core" or
"common" knowledge is taught as a result of the teacher identifying the needs
within a cluster of students.

VII. LITERATURE CIRCLES

Once a group has been formed around a part of the reading assigned, students can be
encouraged to investigate the book (and therefore the Character Education values) using
these requirements:
Write a number of open-ended questions for the students to address in their Character
Education journals. As students arrive in class having reflected on these questions,
constitute the literature circle to have students discuss their responses to the text. In this
way, students have autonomy and responsibility. The teacher's role shifts from that of
performer to that of facilitator, where s/he:

Models reading as active meaning making

Plans pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading activities as needed
Observes and validates individual progress
Observes individual and group problems and introduces alternative reading
strategies
Monitors classroom norms and civility and productivity so that students can focus
productively and seriously on the work in which they are engaged
Evaluated students' developing skills

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SEVEN KEY READING STRATEGIES

As students explore the Character Education texts, the teacher can focus the building and
scaffolding of literacy by focusing on the following critical strategies in reading
instruction:
(1) Activate prior knowledge: During reading a reader integrates this personal
knowledge with the author's words, creating an original text. This is a type of schema
theory, implying that each child brings a unique set of experiences and knowledge, called
schemata, to reading. If students' background knowledge is limited, building additional
knowledge prior to reading will improve comprehension and engagement. In this way, we
are responsive to individual needs, and individualize our instruction appropriately.
(2) Decide what's important in a text: Using prior knowledge helps students determine
the purpose for reading, and helps them separate unimportant information from key
points.
(3) Synthesize information: Good readers silently synthesize and summarize sections of
a text as they read. To begin with, this strategy needs to be made public (through a metanarrative). Additionally, students need public opportunities to practice selecting key
points and organizing them under general topics. Students should have experience with

removing irrelevant data

removing repeated information
categorizing information into lists
trying to locate topic sentences in a text and using these form their internal
summaries
creating topic sentences when they can't find any in the text

(4) Draw inferences during and after reading: Essentially this is reading between the
lines, to determine a character's motivation, to discover themes and main points.
(5) Self-monitor comprehension: All readers experience perplexing passages. Proficient
readers can pinpoint confusing passages (and vocabulary) and are able to tackle these on
the spot. Struggling readers, on the other hand, tend to skip over difficult passages and
unfamiliar words, unaware that the information is important. This tends to result in
diminished comprehension.
(6) Repair faulty comprehension: These might include the use of context clues and prior

15

knowledge, which will enable a student to comprehend. Struggling readers tend not to
have the ability to struggle through confusion successfully.
(7) Ask questions: Proficient readers pose questions before, during and after reading.
This questioning allows students to assess what they already know and to set guidelines
for what they need to learn in order to enlarge their knowledge.
Middle school students who read in a halting, word-by-word manner, who struggle with
phrasing, expression, and reading in meaningful chunks, are at the great risk of being
turned off by reading. Their lack of fluency impedes recall and comprehension, making
reading an unpleasant, unrewarding chore. To middle schoolers concerned with peer
acceptance, disfluent reading is an embarrassment. It is often safer for these students to
avoid completing assignments than to risk exposing their "flaw". Teachers can improve
their students' fluency by designating a private, quiet area of the classroom as a place
where students can try repeated readings, tape-recorded stories, or reading with drama
and emotions (as in a Reader's Theater). All of this is connected to the creation of a
caring community and positive citizenship in a classroom. Middle grade students who
struggle to make meaning are in perhaps the best position to appreciate the complexity of
many of the character education values.
The goal of organizing instruction around reading for strategies is to provide
opportunities for middle school students to practice, use and apply a wide range of
strategies to reading problems encountered while completing school assignments and
during independent reading. Some ways to enlarge middle school students' repertoire of
in-the-head (meta-cognitive) strategies:
1. Model, through mini-lessons and during read-alouds, how these strategies work for
you. During these read-alouds and mini-lessons, when the teacher reveals her thoughts
and pictures in her mind, she is showing students how she applies strategies such as
making inferences about a character's motivations, raising questions, and coping with
confusing passages.
2. Record mini-lessons on chart paper so students can refer to them again and again.
3. Offer opportunities for students to practice and discuss strategies using materials at
their independent level. Easier materials allow students to focus on understanding the
strategy instead of struggling with the text.
4. Group students for guided reading according to their needs. Once students show you
they can apply a strategy, reorganize the group and continue to move students forward.
5. Reserve time for short, focused, one-on-one reading conferences during which you can
observe students reading and help them explore strategies that can help them comprehend
confusing passages and words.

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6. Accept that for all readers, practicing and internalizing a strategy takes time. Reserve
as much time as possible. Moving them forward too fast, expecting students to use a
strategy independently after a couple of practice sessions will only confuse them. While
some students will be ready to move on, others will need continuing scaffolding from the
teacher (or a peer).

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Part II
Character Education Texts
Grades 5 8

18

Grade 5 Texts
Junebug, Alice Mead
The Lucky Stone, Lucille Clifton
Grade 6 Texts
The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963, Christopher Paul Curtis
Baby, Patricia MacLachlan
Grade 7 Texts
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred Taylor
Heaven, Angela Johnson
Grade 8 Texts
The Giver, Lois Lowry
Holes, Louis Sachar

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Part III
Sample Character Education
Lesson Guides

20

Grade 5 Character Education Novel #1

Junebug, Alice Mead
Story Summary:
Reeve McLain, Jr. - Junebug - has a big dream that keeps him going. Junebug dreams
that someday he and his younger sister and mother will move from the awful housing
project where drugs, gangs, and guns are part of everyday life. Junebug's tenth birthday is
coming up, and he knows that gangs and drug dealers will be after him to join them. But
Junebug has a big birthday plan to keep his hopes alive. He is going to launch his
collection of glass bottles filled with notes about his dreams and wishes. Maybe
someway, somehow, Junebug's big dream will come true.

Themes:
Responsibility
Caring
Respect
Fairness
Essential Question:
What are some of the ways we can be responsible for ourselves and each other?
Final Exhibition:
A "Message in a Bottle" Portfolio
Each student will either bring in, create, or have provided for them a bottle (much like

21

one of the ones Junebug collects). In this bottle, students will be required to place the
following:
1. A letter from Junebug to Darnell. In this letter, Junebug should share with Darnell his
opinion of what it means to be responsible. Students should use examples form the story
in this letter, and have Junebug give advice to Darnell. What might Junebug recommend
to him?
2. A four-panel sheet, where each of the panels in labeled with one of the selected
Character Education values. Students will find an example of each from the book, and
illustrate it in the panel provided. Each panel should additionally be titled, or given a
caption. Teachers have the option of requiring students to write a process narrative as
well.
3. Students should write a response to the prompt, "do you respect Junebug?" In this
response, they will be asked to articulate their opinions and find textual support for those
opinions. Students will be asked to be as persuasive as they can be. Students will swap
responses with classmates who have differing opinions. These papers will thus serve as
dialogic debates between students, in each case requiring support from the students for
their arguments.

Pre-reading:
Because so many of the assignments rely heavily on being able to select Character
Education values as students interact with this text, it is recommended that teachers
introduce the four selected values for Junebug, and provide example of each. Student
experiences can be solicited here as well.
Have students create a self-portrait out of images, words and pictures. Once they have
finished this, have students write five individual words they feel describes them. See if
any of the four selected values surface here. If they do not, ask the students to select the
one value that best describes them, and write a rationale for the selection of that value.

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During Reading:
Reader Response Dialogic Journals:

1. Titling chapters. Have students provide a title for each chapter. These should be
accompanied by a reflection discussing this choice (rationale). Additionally, students will
be asked to pick one of the Character Education values and assign it to each chapter, In
other words, which of the values is most closely associated with the content of the
chapter?
2. p.7 - Brainstorming the word "birthday." What images, words, feelings, memories do
you think of when you hear the word birthday? Compare these reactions to Junebug's in
chapter one. Junebug is clearly concerned about the gangs in his neighborhood. What is
the responsible thing for Junebug to do in this situation?
3. p.8 - Look at the similes on pages 8, 11, and 14. Ask students to create a definition for
"simile" giving the examples they have seen. Ask them to think about their own simile
(this can begin as a whole-class conversation). As guided practice, have the class list
several nouns (concrete), and have students try to come up with a simile for it. These
should additionally be recorded in their journals.
4. p.15 - Stereotype. Have you ever been judged unfairly? Has an assumption been make
about you that was untrue? Write down one of these episodes. How did it make you feel?
What do you think you could have done about those experiences? (fairness).
5. p.20 - Have students bring in an artifact (something visually stimulating) having to do
with one of the Character Education values thus far explored in the first three chapters.
Students should find or create an artifact that represents one of the values and how that
values has thus far been woven into the story. An example might be an artifact from one
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of the scenes from the book. The rest of the class will them try to "guess" the significance
of the artifact brought in.
6. p.26 - Create the dialogue that does not (but certainly could) take place in this scene
("what would Trevor say...) What does this scene have to do with responsibility?.
7. p.28 - Write an interior monologue (a stream of consciousness entry) for Junebug in
this scene. Again, how is responsibility a theme that might run throughout this
monologue?
8. p.39 - For this scene, have students "see themselves from the outside looking in."
Provide a sheet of paper with four boxes, each filled with a value selected for this novel.
Have the students react to...Are you (1) responsible, (2) caring, (3) respectful and (4)
fair?
Responsible
Caring
Respectful
Fair

9. p.49 - Set up a page of your journal to be in two halves:

prediction

adjustment

Have the students make a prediction after reading

this section of the book. Make sure students return
to this and adjust their predictions after they have
read further into the story. Students should
comment on why and how they are adjusting their
predictions.
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10. p.71 - If you were in this situation, what would be the responsible thing to do?
11. p.95 - Personification. Look at the personification on page 95, ask students to create a
definition for "personification" giving the examples they have seen (some of these
examples will have to be provided by the teacher/3-5 additional examples should do).
Ask them to think about their own personification (whole class conversation). As guided
practice, have the class list several nouns (concrete), and have students select a noun and
try to come up with personification for it. They should share these with a neighbor and
get quick "peer response" for their examples. This should all be recorded in their journals.
Signpost activity:
Have students write a "ghost scene" in which Junebug's mother sits down with Jolita and
tells her that she is acting and being irresponsible. What might Jolita say in response to
such an accusation? Be sure to retain Jolita's "voice" as you write this scene. Students
could work alone, or work in pairs, each side writing the dialogue for either the mother of
Jolita.

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Grade 5 Character Education Novel #2

The Lucky Stone, Clifton
Story Summary:
There is nothing Tee enjoys more than sitting out on the porch with her greatgrandmother, listening to the fascinating stories about the lucky stone. Shiny and black as
night, it brought good fortune to each of its owners for over a hundred years. First it
helped Mandy, a runaway slave, win her freedom. Then it saved Vashti from death by
lightning at a prayer meeting. And it even saved Tee's great-grandmother from the
ferocious dancing dog and helped her meet her husband.
Now Tee can't help wondering what the old stone has in store for her. She certainly could
use some luck on Valentine's Day. But the lucky stone doesn't belong to Tee. How can
her wish come true?

Themes:
Caring
Respect
Responsibility
Essential Question:
What respect should we have for the stories (and the lessons) of the past?
Final Exhibition:
MUSEUM EXHIBIT:
Students will be asked to create a 4-panel quilt for display in a museum gallery (the
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classroom, which will be converted into a gallery for the final exhibition). This quilt will
have the following guidelines:
Panel #1 should include a scene from chapter one that represents a form of caring found
in the chapter. Students will choose which scene they feel best represents this act of
caring, and depict it in the panel. This can be done with original art, clipped pictures,
words, etc. Each of these panels will be accompanied by a process narrative, which will
represent the student's rumination of the assignment and the decisions s/he made in its
completion. Panel #2 will include an example of responsibility from chapter one, panel
#3 should include an example of respect found in chapter one, and panel #4 should
include an example of caring found in chapter three.
These quilts can be made of felt, construction paper - any materials available to the
teacher and the classroom. They will be mounted, and the process narrative will be
revised (go through multiple drafts) until they are "publish-ready." These process
narratives should resemble the museum plates that often accompany works of art. Finally,
each student will be asked to record a short (15-30 second) audio-taped discussion of
their work. This will serve as the audio-tour of the exhibit. This tape can be sequenced so
that the full tape can serve as an audio-tour for visiting community members.

caring, chapter 1

responsibility,
chapter 1

respect, chapter 1

caring, chapter 3

QUILT

27

Pre-reading:
Students will be asked "Do you have, or have you ever had a lucky object? Have you
ever known someone who has had one? What are some examples of objects that are
supposed to bring luck? This conversation will be followed by the following prompt:
"What do you think is most responsible for good fortune?" Some examples might include
(1) luck, (2) being responsible, (3) hard work, etc. Once student shave put this response
in a journal, the question can be revisited at the end of chapter four of The Lucky Stone.
What do students feel now? Does luck play a role, or do good things happen to good
people?

During Reading:
Bridging activities: MURAL
The mural will look something like this:
CARING

my questions

RESPONSIBILITY

my predictions
PICTURE
(from p. 12)
RESPECT

Throughout the course of the book, students will periodically be asked to pause and fill in
these spaces. This can begin as a whole-class discussion, and then move to small groups
or individual work. As examples of caring, responsibility and respect come up, students
will write on post-it notes and index cards their impressions of those examples and add
them to the mural. The picture on p.12 is compelling, and students can be asked to look

28

closely at the faces of the children depicted. Students can be asked what emotions they
think those children are felling in the picture. This is the beginning of having awareness
of body language and the ability to "read" emotion. Additionally, this kind of picture
could begin 5th graders on the path to writing picture-linked stories, a skill they will be
asked to perform on the GEPA examination.

Post-reading:
Students will be asked to write the fifth chapter of this book. This is a type of "ghost
scene." Students will need to consider several things: (1) Who will get the lucky stone
next? (2) What kind of luck will it bring? (3) Which Character Education values will be
exhibited by characters in the story of chapter five? Students should strive to emulate the
author's craft (imitation is a string scaffold for building literacy), and try to mimic the
author's style, to a point. In subsequent drafts, they should feel free to make whatever
personalized changed they feel make the most sense.

29

Grade 6 Character Education Novel #1

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963, Curtis
Story Summary:
This story is about 10-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint,
Michigan. There's Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron, who's thirteen and
an "official juvenile delinquent." When Momma and Dad decide it's time for a visit to
Grandma, the Watsons set out on a trip like no other. They're heading South. They're
going to Birmingham, Alabama, toward one of the darkest moments in American history.

Themes:
Caring
Responsibility
Essential Question(s):
How far should family members go to care for one another?
Final Exhibition:
Students will be asked to "fast forward" ten years into Byron's future. Byron has just
graduated from college. What kind of a person is he? What are his goals? Who are his
friends? What is his relationship to the members of the family? Have Byron deliver a
graduation speech that he delivers at his college. The selected topic of his speech is
"Caring." What would he write?
Following his speech, Byron is interviewed by a local TV station. The question he is
asked mirrors the essential question above - "How far should family members go to care
for one another? How does he respond? Students will be asked to write, develop, and
shoot this video clip.
30

During Reading:
Bridging activities
MURAL: This mural will be approximately 6-8 feet long and 2-3 feet in width. (See
mural below)
On this mural, students will collect details and information about each of the labeled
characters. This will include descriptions, opinions, and predictions about that character.
What can we say about these characters thus far? Throughout the course of the novel,
students will be asked to take a piece of yarn and an index card, and mount the piece of
yarn on the mural in response to this prompt:

Find an example of how one character cares for (about) another character in the
story. Describe the incident in question, detail how one character is caring for the
other, and write about what these actions suggest about the character doing the
caring.

This information will be written on an index card, and clipped to the piece of yarn that
connects the two characters in question (see above). By the middle of the novel, each
students should have articulated their opinion about on the relationships in the novel.
Mini-Mural:
Joetta

Momma

Grandma Sands

Dad

Index card

Kenny

Byron

31

How would you characterize the relationship between Kenny and Byron? As we read the
novel, collect you observations and reflections on your personal "whirlpool" GO. As a
class, we will collect some of these ruminations and post them in the class.

Reader Response Journal:

What follows is a possible menu of options for journal entries (prompts) appropriate for
the exploration of the above mentioned character education themes: Each journal entry is
followed by a number (ex. journal entry number one would be listed J1)
J1: Students react to the essential question before they begin reading the book.
Throughout the exploration of the novel, students will be asked to monitor how their
opinions change as they learn about new characters and their relationships between and
among one another.
J2: Have students make an initial prediction about the relationship between Kenny and
Rufus. This entry should leave plenty of room for return visits and reflections. Students
should address this prompt when the two characters first meet, after they have their
argument, and after they have "made up." Students should articulate why they feel the
way they do.
J3: Reflect on Kenny's actions vis a vis Rufus on the bus (J3 extended: Write a letter of
apology from Kenny to Rufus. What might he say?)
J4: Return to the essential question. Given what we've learned so far, has our opinion
changed? Can we cite examples from the text thus far to support our points of view?
J5: Would Momma be justified in burning Byron's fingers?
J6: Reread pages 83-85. What upsets Byron so much at the end of this chapter? Students
should add post-its to the character panel "Byron" after this section of the chapter.

32

J7: If you were Momma and Dad, what would you do with/for Byron? How would you
care for/about him here? Compare your response to the actions taken in the novel by
Momma and Dad.
J8: Why do Momma and Dad think Byron needs Grandma Sands and Birmingham? Is
there evidence for this in the text? Do you agree with Momma and Dad?
J9: Why do Momma and Dad want Byron to get away from Buphead? Do you agree with
Momma and Dad?
J10: (from p.124) "I don't think I'll ever know..." - What do you think makes for a good
parent (guardian)? This will also be done on a piece of construction paper as a "collage."
On a piece of paper with the outline of a human head and 1/2 torso, students will fill the
space of the outline with pictures, text and various forms of image that represent their
opinions about good parents/caregivers.
J11: Why do you think Byron acts the way he does with Grandma Sands? (he seems to be
quite tame, and not at all a "juvenile delinquent.")
J12: (Chapter 13) Return the "whirlpool graphic." What do we learn about the way Byron
cares for Kenny?

Post Reading:
Students will write five letters from Byron to Kenny, Joetta, Grandma Sands, Momma
and Dad. These letters are written while Byron in sitting on the couch behind which
Kenny has crawled following the tragedy in the church in Birmingham. In each of these
letters, have Byron address how he feels he has matured over the course of the book.
What/who does he feel responsible to/for? Students should use the mural to help identify
how these letters would be unique.

33

Grade 6 Character Education Novel #2

Baby, Patricia MacLachlan
Story Summary:
Twelve-year-old Larkin returns home one day to discover a baby sitting in a basket in the
driveway of her family's house. The only clue to the baby's appearance is a note from the
child's mother. "This is Sophie," the note reads. "She is almost a year old and she is
good...I will come back for her one day. I love her."
Larkin, her mother and father, and her grandmother all welcome Sophie into their home,
caring for her and teaching her games and new words. As Sophie grows, she learns to
walk and speak. Larkin and her family come to love this baby as their own, all the while
knowing that Sophie's mother will return one day to take her from them.

Themes:
Caring
Responsibility
Promise Keeping
Essential Question:
What responsibilities should parents have for (towards) their children?
Final Exhibition:
1. Talk Show
This final exhibition will include having students work in groups of three. In other words,
there will be three "hosts" of the talk show. One will perform the task in the final
exhibition, though all will be actively involved in the preparation for that presentation. As
an option, the teacher could choose instead to have three final exhibitions, and juxtapose
them with the class for comparison and contrast.
34

Host: Students must prepare a presentation of the summary of the events in the story of
Baby. This should include the 4-5 most important scenes from the book, from the
students' point of view. Students could prepare for this by using the VIP method (Very
Important Points), during which the students place a post-it note next to the scenes they
find most important, then discuss their selections in small groups in order to try to come
to consensus over the 4-5 most important scenes. These scenes should refer back to the
essential question.
Topic (of the talk show): How has your past formed and informed the person that you
are?
Invited Guests: (Students must audition for these roles) - these "auditions" will take place
before the rest of the class, and the rest of the class will fill out constructive evaluations
(listening skills) on which they will try to identify the strongest part of the presenter's
audition. This response feedback will be given to the students who have auditioned as
feedback they can use as a springboard for revising their final exhibitions.
Sophie
Julia
Larkin
Mama
Papa
Each of the invited guests will present their prepared monologue. This monologue will
address the talk show question, and also serve as a character study of the character
presenting.
Audience: Students will pair up and develop questions to ask of the invited guests.
These questions will be generated prior to the talk show presentation, and in response to
the monologues. Pairs will be required to create three questions, one of which they will
use to ask the "invited guest." In the case of duplications, student pairs can simply move
to the next question they have prepared. Invited guests will respond to these questions by
"hot-seating" their characters - acting and answering the questions as if they were the
characters in the novel. The students playing the roles of the selected guests will create
five groups of five students each. Individuals in these groups will each keep journal
35

entries on the character they have been assigned. Periodically, these groups will get
together to discuss their growing understanding of these characters. They will compare
notes and journal entries, and discuss the characters they have been assigned.
2. Sophie's Journal
Students will be responsible for writing Sophie's journal from the time she left Larkin's
family and returned for Grandma Byrd's funeral. This should include five entries, one for
each two years that goes by. Naturally, students will have to "make up" this part of the
journals. By activating their imagination, they can bridge the temporal gap left by the
author. Entries should remain consistent with what the students have discovered in their
investigations into the novel.

Lesson Plan
Pre-Reading
1. Before beginning the book, direct students to respond to a PICTURE PROMPT to
compose their own stories. Students will speculate about what they think might be
happening in the picture. Allow students 20-30 minutes to compose their stories. This
task closely resembles the GEPA picture-related prompt. This draft will move through
multiple revisions, as students are asked to add "snapshots" and "thoughtshots" to their
pieces. Each of the above mentioned targets for revision will be preceded by a minilesson.
2. Have students share their stories with one another for peer response. Readers will be
looking for compelling openings, strong closings, and related elements of writing.
During Reading:
Bridging activities
MURAL: This mural will be approximately 6-8 feet long and 2-3 feet in width. The
mural will look like this:

36

On this mural, students will collect details and information about each of the labeled
characters. This will include descriptions, opinions, and predictions about that character.
What can we say about these characters thus far? Throughout the course of the novel,
students will be asked to take a piece of yarn and an index card, and mount the piece of
yarn on the mural in response to this prompt:

Find an example of how one character cares for (about) another character in the
story. Describe the incident in question, detail how one character is caring for the
other, and write about what these actions suggest about the character doing the
caring.

This information will be written on an index card, and clipped to the piece to of yarn that
connects the two characters in question (see above). By the middle of the novel, each
student should have articulated their opinion about on the relationships in the novel.
Different colored yarns will represent the characters (ex. Blue = Byrd).

Reader Response Journal:

All chapters: chapter titles (Students will begin every class sharing their chapter titles and
provide rationales for those titles)
Ch. 1 & 4: (Double entry) Students will be assigned one character that they will "follow
throughout the book (a list will be provided). The student will be the "expert" on this
character by the time the talk show (final exhibition) rolls around. Students will be
collecting what is said by, is said about, and actions taken by their character. These
should all be followed by a brief reflection on the character.
Ch. 3: Cull 10-20 words from the chapter and place them in your journal. What, if any
patterns do you see in these word (theme)? Place them in the form of a poem and title
that poem. Students should also provide a rationale for their chapter title.

37

Ch. 5: How important is it for a parent to keep their promise? Reread page 21 to get
inspiration for this entry.
Ch. 6: Dramatization - Tableaux
Ch. 7: Illustrate a scene from the book. Be sure to provide a caption for your illustration.
Ch. 8: Cull poem (see Ch. 3)
Ch. 12: Write a letter of advice to someone in the chapter who you think would benefit
from a little assistance (Larkin, Mama)
Ch. 14: What does the sentence "Life is made up of circles" mean to you? How do you
think this might be related to the story so far?
Ch. 15: Storyboard three panel of the chapter. Select the three parts of the chapter that
you thought were most important, and draw those three scenes. Be sure to provide
dialogue and/or captions for each of the panels.
Ch. 16: Ghost scene- Write a letter from Larkin to Sophie announcing the death of Byrd.
For chapters 9,10,11, & 13 students are to use the three entries: culling poetry, illustrating
a scene, and story-boarding, as a menu of options and decide how best they wish to
respond to the chapter. The only rule is that students may not respond exclusively in one
manner. It will be the teacher's responsibility to make sure that students "stretch"
themselves in this way.

38

Post Reading:
Monologues:
Each student has been an "expert" on a character throughout the novel. This assignment
would offer the opportunity to change characters (if the student wanted to). The
monologues are to be 2-3 minutes long. They will undergo at least two (preferably three)
revisions before they are presented. Students will be urged, but not required to memorize
their monologues. The monologue itself will be handed in as a culminating paper.
Students are to use at least one artifact that they connect to their character (a piece of
clothing, jewelry, a thing, a memento, etc...
Students will also hand in a reflection paper in which they provide an explanation for
their artifact selection. Why is this artifact related to their character? Why is it important?
Students may also choose to select a piece of music they feel is appropriate to play as
background to their presentation. The rationale for this, too, should be in their reflection
pieces.

39

Grade 7 Character Education Novel #1

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred Taylor
Story Summary:
A vivid story of a black family whose warm ties to each other and their land give them
the strength to defy rural southern racism during the Depression.

Themes:
Justice and Fairness
Responsibility
Essential Question:
What are the best ways to resist injustice?
Final Exhibition:
Imagine that the town has called a town meeting in the days shortly after the end of the
novel (and following T.J.'s arrest). With T.J.'s impending trail as the backdrop, this town
meeting has been called to address the question "Who is most responsible for T.J.'s fate at
the end of the story?"
Students will select (or be assigned, depending on the teacher's discretion) a character
from the novel to "hot-seat" during this town meeting. In essence, the students will be
asked to "play" the role of the character in the meeting. The characters from which
students may choose are:
Mary Logan
David Logan
Cassie Logan
Stacy Logan
Mr. Avery (T.J.'s father)
40

Mrs. Avery (T.J.'s mother)

Mr. Morrison
Jeremy Simms
Harlan Granger
Big Ma
Mr. Jamison
Uncle Hammer
The town meeting will be a panel presentation during which each of the characters listed
above will be asked to deliver a 1-2 minute speech outlining that character's point of
view. Following each of these presentations, the "audience" (students not presenting, and,
hopefully, visiting students and adults in the room) will be allowed to ask questions of the
panelist. Students will be expected to respond to these questions as their characters might.

Pre-reading:
Have students brainstorm a list of words/ideas they associate with the word "injustice."
Once students have had a chance to hear from each other about what they know, provide
students with a dictionary definition for the word "injustice"
1. A violation of the rights of another
2. Unfairness
3. An act that inflicts undeserved hurt.
Have students write (in a journal) for 5-10 minutes about (1) a time they have witness an
injustice, (2) a time they have been involved (experienced) an injustice, or (3) a time they
have heard about an example of injustice. It will be after students have written this entry,
and after some students have shared their entries, that the teacher will post the essential
question in a space where it can remain hanging throughout the unit. Students will
respond to the essential question using the lens of their journal writing. What would have
been the best way to resist the injustices they have described? This activation of prior
knowledge and experience sets into motion a norm for the class in which students will
frequently refer back to the essential question as they explore new injustices in their
reading of Thunder.

41

During Reading:
Bridging activity: A double-entry dialogic journal. Students will, on the left hand side of
the double entry journal, cull examples of injustices from the novel. There are examples
in nearly each chapter, but the teacher should focus on clear and obvious examples in
chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 12. On the right hand side of the journal page, students will
reflect on those examples of injustice, and how best they feel those injustices could have
been resisted.
Signpost activity: In order to prepare for being a character panelist in the final exhibition,
students will be asked to complete "character collages" for their assigned character. A
character collage is a piece of construction paper with the outliner of a human form from
the shoulders up. Students will spend some class time (and some time at home) cutting
out or creating visual representations that they feel somehow connect with their character.
They will also cut out or create text that they feel represents their character as well.
Students will be asked to cull text (things said by, about or actions taken by) connected to
their character as well. Periodically (every few chapters), the teacher will ask the students
to write a process narrative about the choices they have made on their collages (what
decisions did you make? Why did you make those decisions? What did this exercise
teach you about your character?)
Read-Aloud of Chapter 2:
It is recommended that the teacher begin the teaching of the novel by reading chapter 2
aloud. Chapter 1 is therefore temporarily skipped because chapter 2 is more compelling,
and students will be more intrinsically motivated to read if they begin with the second
chapter. Additionally, there are several clear examples of injustice mentioned in the short
11 page segment that makes up chapter 2. This provides the teacher with the opportunity
to address the essential question with some immediacy, and set the tone for subsequent
investigations of the novel.

42

Sample question at the end of the chapter (possibly a journal entry): Given the example
of injustice we have read so far, how might you resist these injustices (in the context of
living in rural Mississippi in 1933-4)?

During reading:
At two points in the novel (chapters 3 and 8), characters take revenge, either against a
person (Lillian Jean in chapter 8) or against a machine (the bus in chapter 3). Each will
have a graphic organizer that will look similar to this:

Name: ____________________

In chapter 3, the Logan children take revenge on

the Jefferson Davis school bus. Below, indicate
if you think they were justified in taking revenge
or not, and then provide your rationale (reasons)
for feeling the way you do.
justified
not justified

Rationale for my opinion: ___________________

________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________

After filling out the graphic organizer, students will be asked to write a journal entry in
which they write a dairy entry from the point of view of one of the "victims" of the
revenge (a bus passenger, of Lillian Jean).

43

Grade 7 Character Education Novel #2

Heaven, Johnson
Story Summary:
Marley has lived in Heaven since she was two years old, when her mother found a
postcard postmarked HEAVEN, OH on a park bench and decided that was where she
wanted to raise her family.
And for twelve years, Marley's hometown has lived up to its name. She lives in a house
by the river, has loving parents, a funny younger brother, good friends, and receives
frequent letters from her mysterious uncle Jack.
Then one day a letter arrives from Alabama, and Marley's life is turned upside down.
Marley doesn't even know who she is anymore, and doesn't know where she can go for
answers - especially now that she feels she's been deceived by the very people she should
be able to trust the most.

Themes:
Responsibility
Fairness (the conviction of what is good for me, should be considered in relation to what
is good for everyone else)
Trustworthiness (honesty, promise-keeping)
Essential Question(s):

How important is trustworthiness in a relationship?

How important is it to tell the truth?

Final Exhibition
Part I: Students will be asked to create a box, and write on four if its sides, caring,
responsibility, trustworthiness and honesty. Students are, throughout their reading of the
text, to find examples of each of these values in the novel. How are these values manifest
in the story? What examples can the students find to support their assertions? These sides

44

of the box should include culled text, images (drawn or cut-out), and original writing.
Students will submit a process narrative as well, in which they reflect on the choices they
made, and why they made these choices.
Inside the box, students should place a letter from Marley to either uncle Jack or Momma
and Pops. This letter should be a reaction to the line on page 97 where Marley says, "I
don't know anymore. Maybe the one big lie makes everything a lie." Students should
pretend they are Marley and write this letter several hours after these words are spoken.
Who would she write to? What might she say? Also inside the box, students should place
an artifact that represents one of the character education values. This too should be
accompanied by a process narrative, where students explain the artifact they chose and
how it relates to the story.
Pre-reading:
(1) Honesty Collage - before the students begin reading the book, they will receive a
piece of construction paper with the word HONESTY in the middle. Students should
work in groups of three to brainstorm a series of images and words they associate with
the word honesty. These can be cutout, drawn and original. These will be posted in the
classroom for further use throughout the reading of the novel.
(2) Students will be given the six letters that uncle Jack writes to Marley. They will be
asked to chart the relationship between uncle Jack and Marley as it is revealed through
these letters. Students will use the following graphic organizer:

Letter #1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

Examples of caring
And honesty

45

Students should also chart the tone of these letters, perhaps in journal entries throughout
The novel. What can we predict about the relationship between Marley and uncle Jack?
During Reading:
Bridging activities
Prediction Map:
Starting in the upper left hand corner of one two-page spread in their journal (one that has
been set aside for this purpose throughout the unit), the student will make a prediction
about the remainder of the book. Thus, after chapter one, students will make their first
prediction. This prediction will be accompanied by a process narrative indicating the
reasons students feel their predictions make sense. As chapters unfold, students will draw
a line to the next prediction they make. The predictions will be made in one color (ex.
blue) and the connector lines in another (ex. green) to distinguish them. If students
choose to , they may "split" their predictions and create two "possibilities" and chart each
one. As information is gathered through continued reading, students will provide
commentary on what happened, how close their predictions were, and why they felt
things happened the way they did. Students may also adjust their predictions as new
information provides clues as to how events will unfold in the story. It is vital that a space
be set aside (this should be modeled by the teacher) to let students make connections to
their own lives and predictions they make.
Example: (split)
I think the Western Union is
Going to be important in the
Story. We have a store near
Our house that I go to all the
Time for my Grandma

Process narrative: _____________

____________________________
____________________________

Marley is sending money to

Uncle Jack because hes in
trouble.

Uncle Jack is messed up because of

the Vietnam War and Marley
suspects there is more to the story.

46

Marley's Wisdom Wall:

During their reading of the novel, students will be asked (in whole-class settings), to add
information to "Marley's Wisdom Wall." Using only the characters listed, students should
answer the question, "What advice would this character give to Marley?" (related to the
four character education values) Further, students will be required to identify the page
number from which this information has been derived (research skill) and write what the
advice means to the student.

Marley's Wisdom Wall

Shoogy

Jack

Momma

Bobby

Pops

Butchy

Post Reading:
(1) Inter-chapter anthology: Students will write a "ghost chapter" that would appear prior
to Jack's arrival in Heaven. This "chapter" will be written from Jack's point of view.
Students' pieces should begin with the same prompt. One way the beginning of each
student's chapter might start is with Jack addressing his dog, "Come here, Boy!"
A question that will be answered might include: Is there anything about uncle Jack that
suggests that he cares for Marley?

47

(2) Students will be given the following letter:

Dear Uncle Jack,
I'm writing because I need to ask you an important question. How important is
trustworthiness in a relationship? Why didn't you trust me to be able to deal with the truth
that you are my father? Why did you wait so long to come to Heaven? What can you tell
me about my mother? Why should I trust you, uncle Jack?
Marley
Students will be asked to take on the persona of uncle Jack and Momma and Pops. In
both cases, the above characters will write a letter in response to the letter sent by Marley.
How would they react? What might they say in response?

48

Grade 8 Character Education Novel #1

The Giver, Lois Lowry
Story Summary:
When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from the Giver. The
Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Suddenly, it is time
for Jonas to receive the truth. Once Jonas understands the truth, he is faced with a
difficult and dangerous decision to make.
Themes:
Civic Virtue
Citizenship
Fairness
Essential Question(s):
1. What makes a perfect citizen?
2. How do you know when a thing is "true?"
Final Exhibition:
Students will be asked to consider an alternate ending to the novel. In this new ending,
Jonas is captured before he arrives at "elsewhere." He is returned to his Community to be
put on trial. He stands accused of being a "bad citizen." If he is found guilty, he will be
released.
In order to put Jonas on trial, several roles will need to be filled by students (voluntarily
or assigned). These roles include:

2 prosecuting attorneys
2 defense attorneys
Asher
Fiona
49

Jonas's mother
Jonas's father
The Giver
Elders (2-4)
A jury will also need to be formed. It will ultimately deliberate Jonas's fate.
Pre-reading:
Teacher should investigate the meaning of the word "utopia." (definition: imaginary and
ideal country - a place of perfection) Students should be asked to list five (5) elements of
a perfect world (community). This could begin as an exploration of their school as a
community, move to their communities and neighborhoods, and ultimately address the
larger society in which they live.
Students will be asked to brainstorm what it means to be a citizen. Attention should be
given to what makes a "good" citizen. Who decides? Can we have different opinions
about this?
This will lead to students working in groups of three (3) to make a contribution to a list of
what makes a "perfect" citizen. This poster board will be mounted close to the essential
question so that the instructor can "loop back" to it periodically throughout the unit.
As a final pre-reading, students will be asked to respond to the following: "It is better to
consider the needs of the many than it is to consider the needs of the few."
Students should agree or disagree with this statement, and should provide 2-3 supporting
examples/details in their notes. This piece will be developed into a persuasive piece of
writing using a persuasive frame.

50

During Reading:
Bridging activities
MURAL: This mural will be approximately 6-8 feet long and 2-3 feet in width. On it will
be the question "Is the Community depicted in The Giver" a utopia (a place of
perfection)?" This mural will collect the cumulative thinking of the class, and can serve
as a discussion springboard throughout the unit. Instructors should pause every so often
and ask students to jot down their thoughts on the question as the events in the novel
unfold.
Reader Response Journal: Students will react to their reading of the book using two
prompts interwoven throughout their journal.
Prompt #1: Is the Community Jonas lives in a utopia? This will link the students' reading
and response to the conversations they will have in class as they socially make meaning
of the text using both their journals and the MURAL. This prompt should be used during
the reading of chapters 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, and 22
Prompt #2: Students should track (1) the rules in Jonas's Community, the (2) structures in
place in the Community (such as families), and (3) whether Jonas acts as a "good citizen"
(according to the Community) in the novel. This last piece (#3) should be accompanied
by textual corroboration. This prompt should be used during the reading of chapters 1, 5,
9, 13, 17, 19 and 23.
Post-reading:
Prompt #1: Students will be asked to pretend that they have been selected to a
progressive committee charged with the task of making the Community more fair. They
have been asked to make no more than (and no fewer than) three (3) recommendations.
Students will work in groups of three to identify the most important things that need
changing in the Community and write a report detailing what needs to be done and how
they would propose doing it.

51

Prompt #2: The Community Jonas lives in seeks to address the needs of the many over
the needs of the few (or individuals). Do you feel the Community depicted in The Giver
is fair? Be sure to support your assertion with at least four (4) examples from the text.

52

Grade 8 Character Education Novel #2

Holes, Louis Sachar
Story Summary:
Stanley Yelnats's family has a history of bad luck, so he isn't too surprised when a
miscarriage of justice sends him to a boy's juvenile detention center, Camp Green Lake.
There is no lake - it has been dry for over one hundred years. As punishment, the boys
must each dig a hole a day in the hard earth of the dried up lake. The warden claims that
this pointless behavior builds character, but that's a lie. Stanley has to try to dig up the
truth.

Themes:
Justice and Fairness
Essential Question(s):
1. Once a person has recognized an obvious injustice, how far should that person go to
right that wrong?
2. Can good things come from bad experiences?

Final Exhibition:
Identify a part of the novel when Stanley addresses an injustice by making a personal
decision how to deal with it. Once you have identified this part of the story, change the
decision and actions Stanley takes. Rewrite the story subsequent to this change,
concentrating on how the story would unfold differently given Stanley's new actions.
Write just the next few pages of the new story (see following page for sample).

53

An additional component of this final exhibition will include the construction of text
towers as follows:
3
1. Problems faced by Stanley
2. Choices and decisions
Stanley makes
3. Resolution of those problems

Students will also be asked to write their own fable, using Holes as a reference and the
reading of the fable (earlier) as a frame. Students should use the following graphic
organizer:
Moral of your fable:
If you had to assign an animal to the characters
in the novel, what would they be and why?
Animals Stanley: ___________________
Why? ____________________
Zero: ____________________
Why? _____________________
Exaggeration: ________________________

Resolution: ____________________________
_____________________________________

54

Write your own fable in which a wrong is made right and one or more characters in your
fable make decisions that impact the outcome (resolution) of the problem. Take into
consideration the setting and characters, and try to make your characters representative
(metaphoric. symbolic). (this can be folded into a post-reading experience).

Pre-reading:
1. Write about a time you either righted a wrong or tried to right a wrong. Have you ever
experienced an injustice and tried to do something to address that injustice? Have you
ever witnessed an injustice and regretted not having tried to right it?
2. Read a FABLE (Aesop - The Fox and the Grapes). This is designed to familiarize
students with fables (Holes is arguably a fable). Students will be responsible for writing
their own fable later in the unit. Students should fill out a graphic organizer designed to
focus their understanding of the key elements of a fable:

Use of animals
Use of exaggeration
Existence of a moral

During Reading:
Bridging activities
MURAL: This mural will be approximately 6-8 feet long and 2-3 feet in width. The
mural will have several large holes on it, each representing a problem the characters face
in the story. Students will fill these holes with problems Stanley faces and make decisions
about whether the problem is one that leads to (1) treasure [good things that come form
bad experiences], (2) lizards [bad things that come from bad experiences] or (3) nothing
[not relevant to the broader themes of the story]. These will be layered over the holes on
the MURAL. In other words, the holes will be "filled" with the reflections listed above.

55

Parallel Timelines:
The teacher will mount identical timelines, one above the other. On the top timeline,
students will be asked to track the injustices the Stanley faces and how he deals with
those situations. On the lower timeline, students will do the same thing, this time
focusing on the injustices suffered by Sam the Onion Man and Kissin' Kate Barlow. On
the lower timeline, this work will be done on wax paper (or equivalent), so that the
timeline can be lifted off and superimposed on the top timeline, therewith giving students
the opportunity to compare the injustices experiences in both examples.
Wanted Poster: Students will be asked to create a "wanted" poster similar to the ones that
were used in the Wild West. Students will be asked to identify a character in the novel
they feel is one of the "bad guys." This poster should include a visual representation,
some descriptive detail about the character, and the "offense" that makes the character
"bad."

56

Part IV
Appendix
Literacy Strategies
&
Literature Forms

57

Literacy Strategies

58

Notes on Effective Reading Instruction

Effective reading instruction immerses students in reading experiences that closely

simulate the experiences of adult readers. Typical activities in a effective reading
instruction might include:

Read-aloud: By the teacher.

Gathering: To review schedule, answer questions.

Mini-lesson: presentation by the teacher or a student expert to the entire class or a

small group, followed by a brief question/answer session.

Guided practice: Students have many opportunities to practice a reading strategy

collaboratively, and with easy, short text.
Guided practice is typically a short (10-15 minutes)
session that occurs during the workshop time, often
following a strategy mini-lesson. Shortly after the
demonstration and follow-up student discussion, move
into the guided practice session. Isolating key reading
strategies and practicing them on the heels of teacher
modeling gives students a deeper understanding of
how a strategy can support reading.
During the session, the entire class practices a strategy
as the teacher circulates and actively supports students.
Observe students to determine how they independently
apply the mini-lessons suggestions.
Circulate and coach students with questions that
scaffold the strategy (see Appendix A). Let students
know what strategies you observe them applying.
Make what they are doing visible by offering
comments that showcase the strategy they are using.

Meaningful reading experiences: Students read independently, discuss books, and

respond to them in journals.

Guided strategic-reading groups: While other students work in groups or pairs or

alone, the teacher works with students who need more support in learning a strategy.

59

Independent free-choice reading/Conferences: One-on-one meetings with students

about their reading, while the remainder of the class reads a selection of choice.

Choices: Students choose reading books from the school , classroom, home or
community library, based on interest and readability.

Literature discussion groups: Small heterogeneous groups talking about books

theyve read.

Readers chair: Spotlights students as readers while they present their book talks to
small groups or to the entire class.

Closing: Teachers final comments that showcase what worked (a group metanarrative)

Some benefits of effective reading instruction:

A) Because effective reading instruction is a mixture of teacher and student led
experiences and offers choice time, it is the ideal environment for middle grade
students to develop the responsibility they desire.
B) Having chunks of time set aside for reading enables the students to practice and apply
reading strategies in school.
C) Chunks of time build on the social needs of middle grades students, and allow
flexibility in arranging strategic-reading groups, book discussions, paired readings
and retellings, and sustained silent reading. Moreover, talk (social interactions around
the text) provides opportunities for students to interpret, clarify, and exchange ideas,
resulting in deeper comprehension of texts.
Some possible (meaningful) reading experiences during choice time:

Paired reading: Partners read and retell sections of a text to one another

Paired questioning: Partners red passages and question one another

Listening to a book: Students listen to a book on audio tape at the classroom

listening center

Complete a journal entry:

60

1) Identify the main character, list several problems s/he faces, and explain how
the problem was solved. If the problem was not solved, explain why and tell
how you might have solved it.
2) Summarize and evaluate two or three decisions the main character made
3) Select an important quote from the story and explain how you connected to
that quote. Show how the quote relates to a theme, conflict, or character in the
text.
4) Choose a minor character and show how s/he was important to the plot, main
character or themes.
5) Select three key events and show how each provided insight into a characters
personality.
6) List several things that you value or that are important to you. List your
favorite characters values. Compare and contrast the lists, pointing out
similarities and differences.
7) Visualize a scene or a character and use illustrations or words to help others
see your mental images.
8) Interior monologues
9) Diary entries
10) Letters of advice
11) Text re-writes form the perspective of a different character
12) Ghost scenes
13) Converting sections of text into new genres
14) Titling chapters (and providing rationales for these titles)
Write a book review
Readers theater scripts: Groups create and practice reading aloud scripts based on
books they have read.
Practice a strategy: Students, solo or in small groups, use books at their independent
reading levels to cement their understanding of a strategy.
Peer conferences: Pairs or small groups discuss how they apply a reading strategy or
share journal entries.

61

 Group dramatizations: Small groups select as section or chapter of a book to

dramatize, using voice and gestures to reveal character.
Student-led book discussions
Some Strategies to Use Before Reading:

Brainstorm/categorize

Predict/support

Skim/preview

Pose questions

Fast-write

Pre-teach (vocabulary, concepts)

What do I know? What do I want to find out?

Visualize/recall other sensory experiences

Some Strategies to Use During Reading:

Make personal connections

Use prior knowledge

Predict/support/adjust or confirm

Pose questions

Identify confusing parts

Visualize

Self-monitor understanding

Summarize

Synthesize

Reread

Use context clues

Infer

Some Strategies to Use After Reading:

62

Skim

Reread

Question

Visualize

Evaluate and adjust predictions

Reflect through: talking, writing, drawing

Infer: compare/contrast; cause/effect

Note-taking

Summarize

Synthesize

When will you know a student can use a strategy?

As teachers, we need to be vigilant kid-watchers. We need to assess (as opposed to
evaluate) our students constantly, adjusting our instruction to be responsive to their
individual needs. Some ways to monitor when a student seems to have internalized a
strategy:

Circulate and watch students during guided practice

Observe partners practicing a strategy

Note how students apply a strategy during strategic reading groups

Discuss a strategy during one-on-one meetings with students

Read students journal entries and self-evaluations

Final Exhibitions

63

Final exhibitions give teachers the opportunity to articulate their expectations before the
beginning unit designed around the reading of a novel. In the case of Character
Education, this provides the teacher an opportunity to determine what s/he wants in the
way of experiences for her/his students. Using Character Education themes as throughlines in our planning provides us with the opportunity to anchor our lesson and unit
planning around what we want students to be able to demonstrate by the end of the unit.
Only rarely do students know where a lesson or unit is headed in terms of their own
performance obligations. That a student knows the topic, what chapters will be read, the
directions for each activity, or that a test is coming at the end, are not sufficient to focus
attention, guide effort, and ensure that goals are understood and met.
As soon as possible in the unit or course of study, students should know not only the
overarching questions but also the specifics of final performance (e.g. tasks, tests,
assignments, evaluative criteria, and the related performance standards) that must be met
by the end of the unit.
Students must be able to answer the following questions with specificity and confidence
as the work develops:

What will I have to understand by units end, and what does that understanding
look like?
What are my final obligations? What knowledge, skill, tasks, and questions must I
master to meet those obligations and demonstrate understanding and proficiency?
What resources are available to support my learning and performance?
What re is my immediate task? How does it help me meet my overarching
obligations?
How does todays work relate to what we did previously? What is most important
about this work?
What aspects of this work demand the most attention? How should I plan to meet
these expectations?
How will me final work be judged? What can I do to improve?
Reciprocal Teaching

64

Reciprocal teaching focuses on teaching strategies that will help students monitor and
expand their own comprehension of texts, particularly with expository texts. The idea is
to teach students explicit ways to summarize ideas, ask questions, provide clarifications,
and make predictions. You model these four sophisticated language uses and then help
your students practice them on their own. The process is reciprocal in that it is shared.
Students learn to make their language much more precise as they use it for inquiry. The
technique is particularly appropriate for readers whose decoding skills are adequate but
who lag behind in comprehension. To begin, find text selections that provide
opportunities for clarifying, questioning, summarizing and prediction. The demonstrate
each step of the following process:

Notice and clarify difficult vocabulary and concepts. Demonstrate for students,
explaining parts of the text they might find difficult. This process involves
making sense of confusions that may serve as barriers to comprehension.

Generate appropriate questions. Show how to develop important questions about

the material, including what you dont know, what you need to know, or what you
would like to know.

Summarize the selection. Demonstrate how to identify and condense the most
important points in the text.

Make predictions about the selection. Demonstrate how to make predictions using
the information given in the text. You may also refer to the graphic features of the
text or to text structure to predict what information may be provided next.
Background knowledge also plays a role in making predictions.

After a few demonstrations, students can begin to take over the instructional
responsibility. Form groups of students and have them work through the text a paragraph
at a time, approaching each paragraph from four perspectives: clarifier (pointing out
problems posed by vocabulary and text structure); questioner (generating questions based
on what has been read); summarizer (giving a brief summary); or predictor

65

(hypothesizing what will happen next). Students may each take one of these roles in turn,
or a different student may assume all four roles for one paragraph. You provide the
guidance and feedback. You may make good use of this technique with guided reading
groups that need this level of support as the explore novels.

66

Readers Theater
In readers theater, you work cooperatively with students to develop a part of a text into a
play that students perform. This activity connects reading, writing and performance. As
students read a part of a text several times, they increase their fluency. Readers theater
also gives them a chance to practice oral reading, develop positive attitudes toward
reading, and examine the differences between two genres narrative texts and plays. You
might use readers theater for informational text as well. To begin:
1. Help students select a piece of the novel they are reading to transform into a play.
2. Show students how to select key sections of that text to include.
3. Help students decide which parts should be turned into dialogue and which need
to be recited by a narrator.
4. Demonstrate how to turn text into dialogue.
5. Work with students to revise parts of the script, including dialogue and narration.
6. Gather props as necessary.
7. Divide parts among group members and practice reading. Students can create
actions to enhance performance. Memorization is typically not required; students
read their lines from a script.
8. Arrange for the students to perform the play (preferably for a broader audience).
It is important for students to prepare their own scripts rather than work from
professionally prepared ones; the goal is to help them identify important information and
rewrite it as drama. As they practice reading with expression, they learn about
interpretation and develop ownership of the presentation.

67

Short-Writes Before, During, or after Reading:

Ask students to write a sentence or paragraph at intervals while reading a text. Using
stick-on notes, note paper, or their Character Education journals, students write about
what they are thinking, feeling, or visualizing in response to their reading. They can also
note personal connections they are making. During discussion, invite students to take
turns reading their notes while other students respond.
Letters to the Text:
Encourage students to write a letter to a character in the text. Have students share these
letters and explain why they wrote what they did.
Story Map:
A story map depicts the major character and events in a text and typically indicates some
kind of movement (e.g. from beginning to end), Show students how to create these visual
models of the story. They can draw these inside of Character Education journals or draw
them on large sheets of chart paper or butcher paper. Story maps can spark many valuable
discussions as students plan the project and explain it to others.
Webs:
Webs consist of a central idea with branches (and sub-branches) reaching out to
subsidiary ideas. Students can create a web that shows character or setting features, or
one that webs the complexities of a character education value. Have students discuss their
webs, noting why some ideas are subordinated under others.

68

Time Lines:
Students can create a time line to highlight (or chart) the major events in the life of a
character in a novel. This helps students remain on the same page, as students
constantly remind each other what the most important events to date have been in the
novel.
Graphic Organizers:
As you consider different processes to support response, you can also look to graphic
organizers as tools to help students focus their responses to literature.

69

Literature Response Forms

70

RETELLING: NARATIVE
Students Name: _____________________________

Date: _______________

Record of Students Retelling:

Elements in Students Retelling

Teachers Notes

_____ Identified Main Character

_____ Told Main Characters Problem
_____ Settings: Time and Place
_____ Rising Action: Plot Details
_____ Mentioned Other Characters

Students Speaking Patterns:

Spoke in complete sentences:
Told details in chronological order:
Added details when asked for more:
Additional Teacher Notes:

71

STUDENTS SELF-EVALUATION CHECKLIST FOR

PREDICT-AND-SUPPORT
Name: _______________________________

Date: ____________________

Directions: This checklist will help you to think about the way you made predictions and
about the characters and events in the book. After you read each item, try and recall how
often you did it. Write O for often, S for sometimes, and R for rarely.
Title of Book: __________________________

Author: ___________________

After completing chapter 1

_____ I used the title and cover as support for my predictions
_____ I used information in the first chapter as support
_____ I used my own knowledge of how stories work
_____ I used my own experiences to support predictions
Halfway through the book
_____ My prediction was based on what had already happened
_____ I used examples from the story as support
_____ I find myself predicting as I read more and more of the story
_____ Making predictions makes the reading more enjoyable
After completing the book
_____ I reread parts of the book so I could adjust off-target predictions
_____ I gave examples from the story to support my adjustments
_____ I confirmed predictions that were on target
Students comments:
Teachers comments and recommendations:
Students goals for the next book:

72

QUESTIONS TO USE WITH FICTION

Questions that foster personal connections:

How are your feelings and the feelings of a character in your book alike?

What feelings did you have as you read the story? Find some places that made you
feel this way.

What words does the author use that you might want to use in your writing? Jot these
words down in your journal.

Have you had experiences similar to a character in the story?

How did the story change your thinking?

Questions about setting:

Where does the story take place? Discuss the important settings and explain why you
believe each is important to the story.

When does the story take place? Was it long ago, in the future, or in the present?
What did you learn about this time period?

How much time passes in the story? Skim through your book and find places that
show how the author makes time pass.

Questions about characters:

Who is the main character? Why is this character important to the story?

Are there words a character spoke and/or actions a character took that helped you
learn what kind of a person s/he was?

73

SELECT A QUOTE
Name: ________________________________

Date: ___________________

Directions:
1. Skim through your book and select a one-to-three-sentence quote that made you
pause and think.
2. On a page in your journal, write the title and the author of the book, then copy the
quote and its page number.
3. Explain why this quote appealed to you. How did it make you feel? What did it make
you think? Visualize?
4. Show how the quote connects to a theme, event, or character in the book.
5. Finally, try to connect the quote to your life or to another book.
Title and Author:
Quote:
The quotes appeal:
Connect the quote to a theme, event, or character:
Connect the quote to your life or to another book:

74

PROBLEM, ACTIONS, RESULTS

Name: ________________________________

Date: ______________________

Title and Author: _______________________________________________________

Characters Name: ______________________________________________________
Directions: Think of two major problems the main character faced. State the problems in
the first column, write the actions the character took to solve the problems in the second
column, and the results of the actions taken in the third column.
Problems

Actions Taken

Results

1.

2.

75

INFERRING A CHARACTERS PERSONALITY FROM EVENTS, CONFLICTS,

DIALOGUE, AND DECISIONS
Name: _________________________________

Date: _______________________

Title and Author: ________________________________________________________

Characters Name: _______________________________________________________
Directions: Select a character from the book and think about how you describe that
characters personality traits by studying an event, a conflict, dialogue and a decision.
Event

Personality Trait

Conflict

Personality Trait

Summary of Dialogue

Personality Trait

Decision

Personality Trait

76

FORMING AN HYPOTHESIS ABOUT A CHARACTER AND PROVING IT

Name: _________________________________

Date: ______________________

Title and Author: _______________________________________________________

Characters Name: ______________________________________________________
Directions: To form an hypothesis about a character, create a statement that takes a
position about a decision, and action or deed, feelings, interactions, or the personality of a
character. Then find three pieces of support from the text to back up your hypothesis.
HYPOTHESIS

PROOF
1.

2.

3.

77

TEXT-TO-SELF CONNECTIONS
While reading, mark or flag a sentence or two where you connect your own life to the
text. Think about your past experiences and prior knowledge. In the space below, copy
the words or explain or draw the picture, and write down your connection.
Quote or picture from the text

This reminds me of

Quote or picture from the text

This reminds me of

78

TEXT-TO-TEXT CONNECTIONS
While reading, mark or flag a sentence or two where you connect one piece of text to
another. It could be a book, an article, a movie, a script or song, or anything that is
written down. In the space below, copy the words or explain or draw the picture, and
write down your connections.

Quote or picture from the text

This reminds me of

Quote or picture from the text

This reminds me of

79

VISUALIZING
While reading, mark or flag a sentence or two where you get a clear picture in your mind
that enhances your understanding of the text. In the space below, copy the words from the
text and write down or draw what you visualize.

Quote from the text

What I visualize

Quote from the text

What I visualize

80

ASKING QUESTIONS
While reading, mark or flag a part of the text where you have a question. Write down the
part that raised your question and then record your question below. If you think you are
headed toward an answer, write that at the bottom of this sheet.
Quote or picture from the text

My question

Possible Answers

Quote or picture from the text

My question

Possible Answers

81

INFERRING THEMES
While reading, mark or flag a sentence with TH for theme when you come across one of
the bigger ideas in the story. Themes usually evoke emotions. Write down the sentence
that makes you infer the theme, write down the theme below, and explain how it makes
you feel and why.
Quote or picture from the text

The bigger idea or theme

How it makes me feel and why

82

PREDICTING
While reading, mark or flag a sentence with P when you find yourself making a
prediction. Write down the sentence that initiates your prediction, and then record your
prediction below. After finishing reading, note whether your prediction was confirmed or
contradicted by checking the section below. Explain what finally happened at the bottom
of this sheet.
Quote or picture from the text

Prediction

Prediction confirmed
Prediction contradicted

What happened

83

SYNTHESIZING INFORMATION
While reading, mark or flag a part of the text with SZ for synthesizing when you have a
new idea. Write down the sentence that gives you this new idea and then explain it under
New Thinking.
Quote or picture from the text

New thinking

Quote or picture form the text

New thinking

84

3 Column Revision
Materials:
3 Column Revision worksheets (for all students)
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Colored pens/pencils
1. Have students take out the paper they are going to revise
2. Take out the 3 Column Revision worksheet
3. Using a transparency of the worksheet, teacher will model its use with a piece of
writing (student generated)
4. Begin with Sentence Beginnings Column:

Write the first few words of every sentence

If they find they have repeated a word, have students reword or reorder
sentences this could include taking student suggestions and adding
them to the overhead in the end, students should strive for varied
sentence beginnings

5. Move to Sentence Lengths

Count the number of words in each sentence

Shorten some, add to, or combine others to make them longer

6. Move to Verbs Column

List the verb(s) used in each sentence

What kinds of verbs are being used? What patterns can students find in
their verb use?
Have the students try vivid, more descriptive verbs and rewrite
sentences to show, not tell

7. Teacher can ask students if they have any questions or comments

8. By the end of the minilesson, the teacher will have filled out the 3 Column Revision
sheet and begun to model how a revision might take shape (on a blank transparency)
9. Students will practice by using their own drafts, in conjunction with the 3 Column
Revision sheet

85

Frames for Writing

Name: ___________________

Class: ________________
Persuasive Text

Some people think that

because

They argue that

Another group who agree with this point of view are

They say that

On the other hand

disagree with the idea that

They claim that

They also say

My opinion is

because

86

Cause and Effect Chart (sample)

At the beginning of chapter 16, Jonas does not want to go back to the Giver because of
the pain he is enduring in the training process. He goes back because he thinks the
choice was not his. (p.121) By the end of this section (ch. 16-19), Jonas has made
several choices, going against the4 rules of the community and the authority of his
parents. This is a turning point in his life and in the novel.
Create a chart listing the joyful and painful memories Jonas is given. Write his personal
feelings and reactions to the experiences. Then extend your chart to show how Jonas
develops certain character traits or changes as a result of the experiences.
Memory or Experience

Emotional Reaction

Character Trait/Character Change

War

overwhelmed by pain

cant play good guys/bad

guys game

birthday party

happiness, joy

awareness of being unique,

special

museum visit
horseback riding
walk in woods
oceans, mountains,
lakes
dreams after he
stops taking stirrings
pills

knows there is somewhere else

realizes a new depth of
feeling for others

sees tape of his

father releasing the
smaller baby twin

87

Persuasive Frames, in a 5-Paragraph Structure:

Paragraph #1

Anchor the introduction of the paper by appropriating as

much of the language from the question in your opening as
possible.
Example: I am writing you today to address your proposal
to eliminate the draft

Paragraph #2

Some people think (believe) that

because
For example

Paragraph #3

Others argue that

because
For example

Paragraph #4

My opinion is
because
For example

Paragraph #5

Restate the language of the question in the conclusion,

again anchoring your essays conclusion.

88

Story Scaffold
Name of Student: ____________________________________
Title of story: ___________________________________________________________
This story begins when ____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
The problem is ___________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
The next thing that happens is _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Then ___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
After that, _______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
The problem is solved when_________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

89

Name: ________________________________________

Brainstorming Sheet - Performing Scenes from (a novel)

Group name: ____________________

Members: ________________________
________________________

Our Scene: ___________________________

________________________
______________________________________
________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
( page #: ___________)
Brainstorming questions/approaches to dramatizing my scene:

who will play what part?

how should the part be acted?

what is the mood of the scene?

how can I use lighting/music to

Response Notes:

add to this mood?

do I need any props?

how/where should actors move?

Continue notes on back

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WEDGE (Writing Every Day Generates Excellence)

Student #1:
Reads Story, then must be quiet as feedback is provided
Student #2:
Summarizes the story - What were the main elements of the story? (characters, setting,
action)
(1) ____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
(2) ____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
(3) ____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Student #3:
Was there anything in the story that was unclear? What questions do you have about the
story?
(1) ____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
(2) ____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Student #4:
What was the best part of the story? What did you like best in the story?
____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

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Three Circle Map

Name of Reader: _____________________________
The Story: ______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
The Problem(s):
____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________
The Solution (resolution): __________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

What happened first?

(Initiating Event)

What happened last?

(Conclusion)

What is the story mostly about?

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Writing Stories from Pictures

Name: ____________________
Date: _____________________
Picture number: ________

Things I notice in the picture

Questions I have about the picture

____________________________

______________________________

____________________________

______________________________

____________________________

______________________________

____________________________

______________________________

____________________________

______________________________

____________________________

______________________________

____________________________

______________________________

____________________________

______________________________

____________________________

______________________________

____________________________

______________________________

____________________________

______________________________

____________________________

______________________________

____________________________

______________________________

Student/Teacher Conference Record Form

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Date: ________________
Time: ________________
Purpose of Conference:

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

Background Information: _______________________________________________

_______________________________________________
Needs Assessment:
Things we are doing now:

Things we need to do:

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Plan of Action:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Signatures (Group Members):

___________________

__________________

___________________

__________________

ASSESSMENT
Teacher Observation

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Student Name: ________________________________

Usually

Date: _______________
Sometimes

Rarely

1. Engages with novel independently

2. Can express thoughts about text
with an adult
3. Can express thoughts about text
with a peer
4. Can justify opinions about a story
5. Draws on personal experiences when
talking about the novel
6. Can be specific when telling what is or
is not liked about a text
7. Can listen to others express their
thoughts
8. Uses references to text structure such
as plot, problem, solution
9. Uses references to stylistic elements
such as figurative language, mood,
and so on

95

Backtracking a Story
1. Before interacting with a text
Read the ending of the story to your students, then invite them
to discuss or write about the following:
2. Does this remind you of any other stories?
What characters do you think are most important to the story?
Why?
What did you notice about the setting?
What predictions could you make about the problem, the
resolution, or any key events in the story?
3. After reading
Compare: how did the realities of the story compare with our
predictions? What did we learn?>
Rate yourself how did you do?

96

Some Journaling Possibilities

1) Identify the main character, list several problems s/he faces, and explain how
the problem was solved. If the problem was not solved, explain why and tell
how you might have solved it.
2) Summarize and evaluate two or three decisions the main character made
3) Select an important quote from the story and explain how you connected to
that quote. Shoe how the quote relates to a theme, conflict, or character in the
text.
4) Choose a minor character and show how s/he was important to the plot, main
character or themes.
5) Select three key events and show how each provided insight into a characters
personality.
6) List several things that you value or that are important to you. List your
favorite characters values. Compare and contrast the lists, pointing out
similarities and differences.
7) Visualize a scene or a character and use illustrations or words to help others
see your mental images.
8) Interior monologues
9) Diary entries
10) Letters of advice
11) Text re-writes form the perspective of a different character
12) Ghost scenes
13) Converting sections of text into new genres
14) Titling chapters (and providing rationales for these titles)

97

The House on Mango Street Graphic Organizer

PREDICTION CHART
What characters have we
met so far?

What is the conflict

in the story?

What are your

predictions?

Why did you make

those predictions?

98

Peer Conferencing Sheet: Listener

Name: _________________________
As you listen to your conferencing partner read his/her piece, please make notes under
each of the following headings. When your partner is finished reading, please share your
notes with him/her, and then give him/her your notes.
1. Anything (descriptions, sentences, words) you liked about the piece: _____________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. What you thought were the pieces main ideas: _______________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. What you would like to know more about: __________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. What confused you (if anything)? Do you have any questions? _________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

99