Emilyby Michael Bedard (Author) and Barbara Cooney (Illustrator)

Included: A brief excerpt from the book and rigorous question set activities promoting higher level-thinking

development

Tier 1

Excerpt from book

Jacob’s Ladder Goals & Objectives

Habits of Mind

Emily

After her mother is invited to play the piano at their reclusive neighbor’s house, a lady known locally as the “Myth,” a young girl is initially hesitant

about visiting. She eventually decides to go along with her mother and meets her neighbor, who turns out to be poet Emily Dickenson, and exchanges a

special gift with her.

Obtain the book from a school library to read the story in its entirety and complete the ladder activities.

Students will be able:

Ladder AA1: Sequencing-To list in order of importance specific events or plot summaries A2: Cause and Effect-To identify and predict relationships between character behavior and story events, and their effects upon other characters or events.A3: Consequences and Implications-To predict character actions, story outcomes, and make real-world forecasts.

Ladder CC1: Literary Elements-To identify and explain specific story elements.C2: Inference—To use textual clues to read between the lines and make judgments about specific textual events, ideas, or character analysis.C3: Theme and Concept—To identify a major theme or ideas common throughout the text.

Ladder DD1: Paraphrasing—To restate lines read using their own words.D2: Summarizing—To provide a synopsis of text sections.D3: Creative Synthesis—To create something new using what they have learned from the reading and their synopsis.

Habits of Mind

Working Interdependently

Thinking about Thinking (metacognition)

Innovating, Creating, Imagining

Refer to Jacob’s Ladder Story Table for Ladder A, C, & D Thinking Questions.

Tier 2Rigor

(Discussion)

High Level Strategies with

Ladder A, C, & D Questions

Discussion Strategies: Think-Pair-Share, Write-around, Sequencing pictures, Role Play, Journaling.

Choose 3 of 4 questions below to complete.

A2: Why do you think Emily said to the girl: “No, you are poetry. This only tries to be”? What effect did it have on the little girl?

C1: Writers often use symbols as a way of having an object represent more than just itself. How do flowers act as a symbol in the story?

C2: In your opinion, what did Emily and the little girl have in common? What inference does the author want you to draw from that similarity?

D2: Can you identify what mysteries are inherent in the story? Read the short biography at the back of the book to provide evidence for your thoughts.

Tier 3Rigor

(Discussion)

High Level Strategies with

Ladder A, C, & D Questions

Discussion Strategies: Think-Pair-Share, Write-around, Sequencing pictures, Role Play, Journaling.Choose 2 of 3 questions below to complete.

A1: Generate all the ways the story illustrates how poetry is like music.

A3: This story is about a young girl’s encounter with the poet Emily Dickinson. The author included the note that Emily gave the girl when she left. What are the implications of the first two lines in the note? “Who has not found the Heaven—below—Will fail of it above—”

C3: Propose the major themes in the story? What did you learn about life from reading it?

Tier 4

Reflections/Relevance(D1, D3)

Choose two of the ideas to complete.  Be creative. 

1. Create a poem in the style of Emily Dickinson. Become the illustrator too. (D3)

2. Prioritize the events in the story. Be Creative. Use one of the optional project strategies below or your own choice. Share with a friend. (D1)

3. Pretend to be a newspaper reporter and report on the encounter of Emily with the little girl. Be Creative with the report.

Optional project strategies:  Commercial Role Play; Create a Puppet Show; Charts, Posters, Flyers, Brochures; Picture Dictionary.