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1Tale of despereaux

Running head: TALE OF DESPEREAUX

Tale of Despereaux Integrated Unit

Cindy Livingston

University of Phoenix

Dr. B. Ricks

RDG 530

March 18, 2009

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Unit Title: Tale of Despereaux Integrated Unit

Intended Grade: Fourth Grade

Unit Focus: This integrated unit uses the novel, The Tale of Despereaux, written by Kate

DiCamillo.

Unit Length: The unit will span four weeks.

Unit Goals:

1. The first goal of this integrated unit is to show reading as a joyful and fun experience.

Motivating students to read is one goal of this unit.

2. The second goal of this unit is to increase readers’ comprehension and fluency skills. It

will also build students’ vocabulary. It will increase students’ ability to read fluently and

increase understanding to an accuracy rate of 85%.

3. The third goal of this unit is to increase students’ skills in narrative and expository

writing. Daily writing exercises will foster development in this area. Students will keep a

journal and record impressions as well as complete assignments using it. Students will

understand elements of a story and be able to write one with a clear understanding of

plot, setting, point of view, characterization and theme development. Students will

advance throughout the unit to writing a five paragraph expository paper.

4. The fourth goal of this unit is to integrate literacy into math, history, science, art and

music providing an in-depth understanding of various concepts and an appreciation for

learning new things.

Unit Description: This integrated unit will use the novel, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate

DiCamillo. It will span four weeks and include five language arts’ lesson plans. The lesson plans

will emphasize cueing systems, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing. The five

lesson plans will contain the grade level content expectations for the state of Michigan. The plans

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will also include teacher and student learning behaviors highlighting appropriate areas of

Bloom’s taxonomy, the materials required to implement the lesson, the sequence of instruction,

and activities for both at-risk and gifted / talented students, as well as assessment information.

Provided in each lesson plan will be assessment and evaluation techniques and suggestions for

field trips or extra curricular activities. Performance assessments and rubrics are included when

appropriate. A cross-curricular chart will guide the integration of the novel with the following

subjects: math, science, social studies, music, and art. Lesson plans will include the use of

technology accompanied by teacher instruction. In collaboration with the computer instructor

and in science, the students will build databases and create spreadsheet using software

applications. An annotated bibliography is provided listing the books to be read aloud. A

bibliography listing all references is provided at the end of the document. This includes

references highlighting issues of parental involvement and community literacy. The instructional

approaches used throughout this unit will accommodate whole group, small group and one-on-

one instruction. It will encompass direct and indirect instruction, cooperative learning groups;

shared-reading and guided-reading, center related learning activities and individual work time.

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Cross-Curricular Chart for Integrated Unit

Week One The Tale of Despereaux: Chapters 1-15: Book OneReading Strategy Emphasized: Making connections

Subject Area Day 1 Ch. 1-4

Day 2Ch. 5-8

Day 3 Reread Ch. 1-8

Day 4 Ch. 9-15

Day 5 Summary End of 1

Language Arts

Read chapters above. Introduce Individual LA portfolio folders. Introduce Tale of Despereaux. Introduce author, genre, setting.

Show KWL chart. Demonstrate word attack strategies as well as contextual strategies.

Homework: Students write in their journals a descriptive paragraph depicting a scene from ch. 1-4 taking the point of view of father mouse, mother mouse, one of Despereaux’s siblings or Despereaux himself.

Read chapters above. Explain Vocabulary List and word wall. (on-going) Write meaningful sentences. Work with the new vocabulary words. Learn how to use the on-line and paper dictionary. Learn how to use on-line and paper thesauri. Learn these reference aids for finding pronunciation of words, syllabication, antonyms, and synonyms. Write newspaper column predicting Despereaux’s situation by using hints from future vocab. Words.

Homework: Write in journal one paragraph that describes any event from ch. 5 – 8 from the point of view of the King, Pea, Despereaux or Furlough.

Discuss prediction assignment by looking at vocabulary given in last lesson for chapter 9-11. Make predictions and talk about the personalities, emotions, feelings of characters.

Reread chapters above.

Introduce Reader’s theater.

Pass out scripts.

Work on fluency by engaging students in practice.

Discuss staging and reading performance.

Practice

Homework: Read the script aloud to your family. Verbally tell them about the story. Have one of your parents or siblings sign the script upon completion.

Read chapters above. Demonstrate connection to self when reading aloud.

Record unknown vocabulary. Put on word wall.

Pass out connection chart.

Read Weslandia by Paul Fleischman as well as the other books listed in lesson plan. Talk about and demonstrate how to think about connection to other texts as well as self. Do part as a whole class assignment. Direct instruction. Students fill out own copy in groups.

Compare and Contrast Wesley and Despereaux using a VENN diagram.

Round-the road summary game in reading groups.

Writing instruction.

Writing exercise.

After assessment and feedback, put work in portfolio.

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Homework: Answer inferential questions. Glue in journal.

Science Introduce Individual Science Portfolio folders. Taxonomy: How Scientists classify: Kingdom, Phylum,Class,Order,Family Genus. Animal KingdomsRodents: Research Types and history of domestication.

Mice: Research and record Characteristics

Mice: Habitats and Biomes. Know the major biomes. Create biome that includes a mouse (most all include some type of mouse from mouse family)

Mice: Finish Biome project.

Food chains and food webs. Know the difference and create one including a mouse. Introduce Scientific observation method. Distribute Science Journals. Observe Mice: Classroom Pet. (ongoing)

Math Drills in multiplication and division on-going. When time test completed with 100% accuracy, a jewel received to place in math crown displayed in middle ages math display center.

Measurement: Review length and width. Teach calculation of area and perimeter using basic pictures of Despereaux’s adventures: Despereaux birth place, library, Pea’s room. Include various shapes to calculate area and perimeter: squares, rectangles, trapezoids, parallelograms.

Continued practice in basic mathematic operations. Continue timed quizzes and update math area.

Continued practice in area and perimeter using manipulatives such as geo-boards, graph paper and cubes.

Introduce circumference. Practice calculating circumference of circles. Distribute picture sheet of Despereaux book and include circle items: circular soup spoon, top of soup bowl, circular rug, etc. Students calculate circumference.

Practice figuring out the circumference of

Review lengths, perimeter, area and circumference. Introduce volume.

Practice calculating volume.

Introduce these concepts using word problems.

Practice with word problems centered around Despereaux.

Word Problems: Solving the unknown relating to concepts studied including the basics of division, multiplication, addition and subtraction along with the new concepts covered.

Decorating Despereaux’s castle. Choose carpet/ rugs for all rooms in the castle. Figure the cost of the project when given costs per square meter for various carpets. Present budget to teacher.

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circular shapes.

Social Studies

Introduce Social Studies Individual Portfolio folders. Introduce middle ages (500-1500). Create big picture and study categories: Time period (time line), famous people, class structure, inventions, architecture and concepts or ideas.

Start time line of middle ages divided into early, high and late. Students research time periods and begin to create time line putting up various events, people, creations, inventions. Summaries are written based on the research and pictures copied for time line.

Continue research, summaries and picture copying. Students grouped by time period chosen. Students chose the topics they will research. They briefly research topics, write short informational passages, copy descriptive pictures from computer. Each group adds two sections to time line.

Students write speech about their research to present a living time line.

Living time line presented and filmed.

Art Introduce Individual Art Portfolio folders. Introduce artists of middle ages: Donetello, Botticelli, Leonardo DiVinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Raphael Sanzio. Compare and contrast artists works, techniques and reasons for creating art.

Research portrait art. Demonstration of portrait art. Begin to pencil sketch a portrait.

Finish pencil sketching portraits.

Create frame for portrait that resembles stain-glass window. Describe significance of stained-glass windows.

Finish creating frames and display in classroom.

Music Music of the middle ages: Influences (Arab love songs, courtly love, travels of crusades). Introduce chant and minstrel music and songs of the troubadours. Students listen to music of the early middle ages and minstrels while writing a song.

Create a time line for middle ages music. Divide the students into groups and have them work together to research and summarize the main music through the middle ages from Gregorian chant to transition music of Renaissance.

Introduce instruments of the middle ages: Wind, percussion and string instruments. Show images. Play music with the instruments; have students act out the instruments in line format while others guess which instruments they demonstrated.

Choose a string, percussion or wind instrument and, in groups, create your own instruments. Provide supplies and have students bring supplies from home. Listen to music from middle ages.

Continue to work on instruments in class.Finish instruments and create a music group. If someone will create and sing a song then tape the concert.

Technology Computer

Calculate the birth rates of mice over a two-year period

Week one: Using an Excel Spreadsheet. Introduce Excel and

They are given in this lab the basic birth rate spreadsheet with

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Lab using Excel. Work in computer lab once a week.

explain spreadsheet terms, cell, column, row. Demonstrate how to locate information on a spreadsheet and how to set up a spreadsheet. Students practice setting columns, width, headings, highlighting, etc.

needed modifications.

Week TwoThe Tale of Despereaux Chapter 16-33: Book Two and Three

Reading Strategies Emphasized: Making connections/ Asking questions


Day 2 Ch. 20- 23

End of Book 2

Day 3 Ch. 24 -27

Day 4 Ch. 28 – 33

End of Book 3

Day 5 Summary End of

Book 2 and 3

Language Arts Read chapters above. Vocab. Exercise. Put words on word wall. Discuss light and darkness. Discuss theme and how it is different from plot summary. Have students list occurrences of light and dark in section read.

Read chapters above. Vocab. Exercise. Put words on wall. Discuss rules and laws. Discuss real world settings: school, home, city and what is done in light and in dark. Compare images if mice and rats in literature, art, poetry. Have students write poems. Half the class on rats, half on mice.

Read chapters above. Teacher explains readers’ theater. Students read present section again or any section from book 1 or book 2 in pairs. Emphasis is on intonation, and voices. After, practice for a readers’ theater performance. This time, students write scripts.

Teacher reviews connection strategy and explains the new questioning strategy. Before, during and after questions are described and modeled. The six basic types of questions are described: A (answered), BK (background), I (inference), D (discussion), R (research), C(confusion). Chapters are read using active comprehension strategy and think aloud by teacher. Game is played: ReQuest: Stump the teacher.

Review question strategy. Distribute a KWL chart. Describe it to the students. Fill out the KWL chart with students. Let students finish the chart.

Compare and contrast the main characters using a graphic organizer. Use strong adjectives and feeling words. Give the character a modern occupation and tell why (3 reasons) they would be in that occupation.

Science Research Rats and then Compare and contrast Mice and Rats. Use

Begin study of light and optics. Properties of light. How light

Color of light. Conduct flashlight and cellophane

Light and shadow: Create a pinhole camera with an oatmeal box. Use

Continue pinhole camera project. Develop film in teams with

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Venn diagram to show characteristic and habitat differences . Students choose. Put in science portfolio. On-going observation of mice behaviors, diet, movements.

travels, how it is reflected, absorbed, refracted. How light is energy. Conduct mirror experiment. Continue observing mice and record observations

paper experiment that demonstrates the colors within light.

Give handout study sheet on light.

Explain scientific method and have students hypothesize what will occur. Continue observing mice and record observations.

photograph paper and create a black and white picture.

Discuss how people see. Retina, Rods, Cones. Show movie.

Review handout on light.

Continue observing mice and record observations. Make hypothesis regarding sleep, exercise and eating patterns.

parental assistance.

Give quiz on light and include an evaluation question on the light unit.

Continue observing mice and making hypotheses.

Mathematics Math drills: collect jewels for crown. Give math quiz on perimeter, area, circumference and volume (extra).Geometry: Introduce/ Teach polygons. Draw pictures of polygons, paint them and cut them out for use in kaleidoscope building. Students quiz each other on the types of polygons (sides and angles). Group game.

Math drills: collect jewels for crown.

Play polygon-matching game.

Create a tanagram puzzle with labeled polygons. Students put together each others puzzles.


Teach types of triangles based on angles: obtuse, right and acute.

Create a mouse house out of cardboard using triangular shapes made by the students.


Teach types of triangles based on sides: equilateral, isosceles, scalene.

Create a mini quilt by cutting fabric into triangles made and labeled by students. Glued on piece of felt to become a mini quilt.


Review measurements of different shapes and work on word problems: solving for the unknown.

Write word problems and have classmates solve.

Social Studies Middle Ages: Feudal System. Overview of feudal system. Class structure explained.

Use Picture the Middle Ages by Linda Honon and modify it to cover

Middle Ages Feudal system simulation begins. Homework: Write in journal on assigned topic.

Middle Ages Feudal system simulation. Homework: Write in journal on assigned topic.

Middle Ages Feudal system simulation. Some can prepare for tomorrow’s feast. Serfs cut vegetables for crock pot stew, entertainers choose music, others decorate door and table area, etc.

Last day of Middle Ages Feudal system simulation. If parental help available have a middle ages feast. Students prepare one or two dishes from the middle ages: Trenchers,

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one week. Students take roles as overlords, vassals, knights, freemen, monks and nuns in the monastery, tradespeople in towns, nobles and servants , entertainers at the castle, peasants at the manor. They make decisions in the simulation that affects their life and interactions with others.

beef or lamb stew, wassail.

Art Review pencil sketching. Introduce color. Describe the color wheel. Talk about tone, luminosity and depth of color. Students create a color wheel.

Students study kaleidoscope and make comparisons with stain glass windows of middle ages. They begin to build a kaleidoscope.

Continue making kaleidoscope.

Decorate outside of kaleidoscope.

Students team up with 2nd graders to show and explain their kaleidoscopes. They answer questions about light and patterns. Together with second graders they complete a pattern activity and a tanagram puzzle.

Music Middle ages music instruments. (Technology integration) Introduce Branching Databases (Black Cat Decisions)

Create a musical information database that includes all instruments used in the middle ages.

Listen to music

Understand the difference between open and closed questions.

Search a branching musical instrument database.

Practice searching musical instrument database.

Add questions and data into the existing musical instruments database.

Create a branching database. Collect appropriate information (musical instruments of the middle ages) and add to the database. Refine questions in the branching database.

Students finish creating branching database and use each others database.

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from middle ages while working individually with computer.

Technology Computer Lab

Continue working with Excel. Birth rates of mice over a 2 year period.

Students learn how to write a formula. How to fill down and how to use the formulas.

They work on their spreadsheet.

Week ThreeThe Tale of Despereaux Chapter 34-52 plus Coda: Book Four

Reading Strategies Emphasized: Asking questions


Day 2 Ch. 39-44

Day 3 Ch. 45-49

Day 4 Ch. 50-52

Day 5 Summary

Language Arts Use pre-reading questions. Have students write questions before reading and label the type of question. Ask questions of students. Discuss questions. Read chapters above and model questioning during story. Vocab. Put on word wall. Complete Vocab. Activity. Discuss answers to questions after reading. If some questions needed research, give for homework.

Review answers to questions. Review the types of questions asked before, during and after reading. Make a chart. While reading have students individually complete the chart.

While reading record unknown vocab. Words.

Vocab. Activity. Put on word wall.

Read above chapters. Review questions. Use active comprehension strategy to pull out questions when reading.Play ReQuest game: Stump the teacher to check comprehension. Character Analysis: Compare and contrast Miggery Sow and Princess Pea.

Predict ending. Review questions and vocab. That teacher has written on board. Finish reading book.

Discuss themes.

Graphic Organizer themes.

Character Education Lesson: Theme connection.

Trustworthiness Respect Responsibility Fairness Caring Citizenship

Discuss all and what they mean. Give examples from real life (world) self , the text and other texts.

Write a paper explain one important theme in The Tale of Despereaux.

Science This week will focus on sound and hearing (ear) (Miggery Sow)

Introduce sound as vibrations and

Sound: Study high and low pitch(frequency) and what the sound waves look like (distance between crests).

Continue work on sound wave diagrams. Students work individually with teacher assistance

Continue to work on sound diagrams.

For those who are finished prepare a center with brainpop Internet

Continue to work on sound diagram and “walk-through” ear. Some may want to review for quiz.


waves.

Conduct sound wave experiment with can and salt. Conduct water experiment to see how waves travel.

Students write about sound as waves and describe how it travels.

Study amplitude: how much energy a sound has and what different sound waves look like (height of wave).

Study sound quality and uniformity of sound wave: Pleasant sound versus noise.

Explain that volume or amplitude is measured in decibels.

Choose various sounds and create sound wave diagrams for them.

Assignment: Diagram a sound wave that has high pitch/ low amplitude, low pitch/high amplitude, high pitch/high amplitude, noise versus pleasant sound.

Also record volume in decibels.

Do pitch experiment with partners. (Review and practice prediction hypothesis)

when needed. . accessibility that

describes the ear and how it works. Provide a diagram of the ear and a small model of ear. Have a box of supplies that could be used for ear parts. Let students who are finished create a “walk through ear” incorporating the different parts of the ear. When finished have them present to the class and take the walk through while explaining how sound travels through the ear.

Give students study sheet on sound and textbook on sound to prepare for the next day’s quiz.

Save 15 minutes to watch movie on sound and then take quiz

Mathematics Math drills: collect jewels for crown.

Math drills: collect jewels for crown.The Cook’s





Math quiz on last week’s material. Various polygons and types of triangles by angle and by side.

watercress soup. Introduce Fractions. Use manipulatives. Teach math terminology.Comparing fractions with like denominators.Play Cook’s soup fraction game.

Comparing fractions with different denominators.

Work on comparing fractions and word problems.

Adding fractions with like denominators.

Subtracting fractions with like denominators.

Working with word problems.

Play the fractions game in teams.

Make Watercress soup.

Help any student who needs extra assistance

Social Studies Inventions / weapons of the middle ages. Teacher introduces topic and explains rubric and what is expected in the week ahead.

Research top inventions and weapons of the middle ages.

Form a list and chart it for class to analyze.

Separate into groups of 4 and work on building a replica of the invention or the weapon. Get teacher approval today and make list of supplies. Some ideas: Mini catapult machine. Water mill Hourglass Spinning wheel Eyeglasses Printing press sundial. Have activity and idea books available.

Continue to research and work in groups. Designate jobs and assign responsibilities.

Find supplies and create a list of things to do and the procedures to create machine etc.

Work on project as described in the rubric

Work on project as described in rubric.

Work on project as described in rubric.Write an evaluation of the project and be prepared to present next class period.

Art Teacher discusses the importance of Church mosaics as an art form

The students start creating a freehand design for their mosaic on

Students use adhesive for each tile piece and place it on

Students continue making mosaics.

Students continue and finish creating their mosaic


during the middle ages. Various mosaics are shown and discussed. The church theme is discussed. A few mosaics are shown and the process is described by showing a video.

purchased garden stones. They label each stone with name on back.

the stone. Teacher and parent help is essential as the students work in groups.

stones. A short paragraph is written about mosaics in the middle ages and how they will use their mosaic.

Music Listen to the Internet Renaissance band medieval music. Discuss ballads.

Have students read ballads from the Ballad List on the Internet.

Students write a medieval ballad.

Students work on the medieval ballad.

Final draft of medieval ballad due.

Technology in computer lab.

Excel Worksheet: Birth rates of mice over 2 year period.

Students learn how to copy and paste. They set up formulas across spreadsheet.

Work on calculating birth rate of mice.

Week FourThe Tale of Despereaux

Discuss themes and write short story

Subject Area Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Language Arts Begin a creative short story that centers around life in the middle ages. It must include a theme as discussed from the Tale of Despereaux. Chose writer (could be written by a character in the story), purpose, audience.Include a description of at least 4 things learned from the four week unit regarding life in

Work on organizing theme and plot. Sequencing order and choosing characters using graphic organizers. Work on rough draft of paper.

Use the rubric provided.

Look at portfolios which contain all the work or pictures of the work accomplished to

Work on rough draft.Homework: work on paper.

Work on paper. Proofread and refine paper. Homework: work on paper.Individual onferences with teacher.

Final copy due after the weekend. Prince and Princess day: Can wear P.J.’s in school. Read the Princess and the Pea fairy tale and watch The Tale of Despereaux movie in class with popcorn and snacks. Any questions regarding paper or extra conferences needed with teacher can take


the middle ages.review.

Homework: work on paper.

place on this day.

Science Build a mouse trap.

Talk about simple machines: levers, pulleys.

Introduce related vocabulary such as incline, slope, gravity, friction, etc.

Show some pictures of mousetraps to help in the brainstorming process

Pair students and let them build a mouse trap. Teacher should question the students to help them think of how to build a mouse trap. The mouse caught must not be harmed.

Bring in supplies and work on mouse trap.

Work on mouse trap.

For those finished try it out on the class pet mouse. Make a prediction of the mouse’s behavior and record in science notebook.

Finish mouse trap and experiment. Evaluate you mouse trap suggesting ways to modify it and make it better depending on the outcome of experiment.

Mathematics Tale of Despereaux takes place in the Kingdom of Dor where they use the metric system.

Introduce and teach the metric (multiple of 10) prefixes.

Practice learning the prefixes.

Play prefix matching game with a partner.

Introduce metric lengths. Compare metric lengths.

Using a ruler design mouse mazes using metric lengths. Label all sides of the maze, using a ruler, in metric length.

Design a second maze using the U.S. system of inches.

Compare the metric system with the U.S. system.Estimate the lengths of a variety of objects from The Tale of Despereaux Students will understand the difference between centimeters, meters, kilometers, inches, feet, yards. Students should understand when (for measuring certain items) they would use which measurement.

Practice measuring items to the nearest 1.4 of an inch or centimeter.

Introduce metric vocabulary for weight and temperature.

Review U.S. vocabulary for weight and temperature.

Work on word problems covering measurements using both the metric system and the U.S. system.

Review basic concepts of metric system.

Review names for length, weight,

Play the Measurement mouse game to review for quiz.Give quiz on metric system.


temperature.

Social Studies Architecture in the middle ages

Discuss castles. Read David McCauley’s Castle and Cathedral book.

Students understand structures of the architecture to incorporate into their art lesson.

Time line fill-in:

Explain the topics for the week (they follow in this chart).

Students choose one topic and obtain 4 facts associated with it. They write the facts as questions and answers on 3x5 cards to be used later for a game. They put a card with a picture on it on the time line along with a couple facts regarding their topic.

Teams of students lead the class.

The crusades: 1095-1250

Saint Francis of Assisi: 1182-1224

Magna Carta: 1215

Marco Polo: 1254-1324

The Black Death and Joan of Arc:1337-1453

Gutenburg Prints the Bible: 1456

Students lead class and discuss the topics.

Students take notes.

Play the middle ages game using the question and answer cards.

Students write a paragraph about the most interesting topic this week.

Art Draw or create a castle or cathedral.Forms available for putting together castle and diagrams available for drawing them.

Work on castle or cathedral

Work on castle or cathedral.

Work on castle or cathedral.

Finish castle or cathedral.

Music Compare and contrast Middle age music (Gregorian chant to ballad singing) to modern day music (pop, Classical, jazz ,

Listen to different types of music and play name that style.

Go to Library and check out

Choose a modern day form of music and create a VENN diagram comparing and contrasting both types of music.

Continue work on VENN diagram.Write a short essay in your journal: What is your favorite music and why. Include what instruments you

Work on essay in class.


new age and rock.Listen to both types of music

books on music and different CDs to take home.

.

Continue to listen to different forms of music.

enjoy, the type of pitch and volume you enjoy and what you envision when you listen to the music. Students will brainstorm by drawing a graphic organizer of their choice in their journals and from that begin to write the short essay.

Technology Computer Lab

Finish calculating and filling in formulas for birth rate of mice over a 2 year period.

Rewards Students can play the game mousetrap in groups.

Students can play chess in groups.


Annotated Bibliography

Read Aloud Literature

Anderson, L. & Faulkner, M. (2002). Thank you, sarah: The woman who saved thanksgiving.

New York: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

This book is a true account of Sarah Hale, a magazine editor and author, persuaded

President Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. Sara wrote numerous

letters to different presidents, organizations, influential people in order to save

Thanksgiving. She was a prolific, intelligent, determined and courageous woman. This is

apparent as the story unfolds. It is a picture book but appropriate for the fourth grade

level and for the lesson on letter writing.

Di Camilo, K. (2003). The tale of despereaux. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

The Tale of Despereaux is a modern day fairy tale about a mouse that saves a princess.

He is an unusual mouse who breaks all convention. It is about a rat that lives in a

dungeon and seeks the light. Main themes of love, honor, forgiveness, greed exist in the

book. The book also lends itself to reading a loud. It is rhythmical and reaches out to the

reader.

Jordan, W. (Ed.). (1999). The middle ages: A watts guide for children. New Jersey: Grolier

Publishing.

This is a nonfiction book covering many aspects of the Middle Ages from agriculture to

women. It is an information book. It should be read section by section and not cover to

cover. This book will increase understanding of the Middle Ages. It is appropriate to

form a backdrop to The Tale of Despereaux.


Maynard, C. (1998). Days of the knights: A tale of castles and battles. New York: DK

Publishing.

This DK reader provides a plethora of information about castles and weapons, knights

and princesses. The glossary in the back is very helpful to locate and learn new

terminology.

O’Brien, P. (1998). The making of a knight. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

The Making of a Knight is a picture book that traces a young boy’s journey from page to

squire to knight. The age of chivalry comes to light. Exciting battles, lavish feasts, a

courtly romance and a rowdy tournament are included in this adventure story. The

Middle Ages is presented. Beautiful artwork illustrates many events providing a good

visual for students. This is an appropriate book to complement a main novel. It is a quick

read that provides a descriptive background for this integrated unit.

Zelinsky, P. (1986). Rumpelstiltskin. New York, NY: Scholastic.

This book tells a story of trickery and prosperity. This story from the Brothers Grimm

tells of a miller’s daughter and her relationship with a magical little creature. The book

depicts a spring medieval setting illustrated in oil paintings. It provides a descriptive

visual for The Tale of Despereaux and wonderful cloze passages to practice learning

unknown words from context.


Lesson Plan OneWord Attack Strategies

Author: Cindy LivingstonSubject: Language Arts (English), Reading, Cueing Systems

Topic / Unit of Study: Lesson One: Tale of Despereaux - Cueing Systems

Grade Level: Fourth Grade

Lesson Objective:Instructional (Teacher) Objective: The teacher will identify and teach cueing strategies (syntactic, semantic and Grapho-phonemic cueing systems) to help students define unknown words in the text thereby increasing students' comprehension and ability to more fully infer meaning from the story. Strategies covering word analysis, sentence structure and determining meaning from context will be taught.

Behavioral (Learner) Objective: The students' after direct instruction and individual practice time, including feedback, will be able to apply cueing strategies. This will be demonstrated through written assignments and discussions with the teacher in a whole class as well as in guided reading groups. When given four sentences with nonsense words, students will be able to supply the correct word 75% of the time. When given 10 words, students will be able to divide these words into affixes and roots with 85% accuracy. Students will be able to decipher an unknown word given a list of suffixes and prefixes and context clues with 85% accuracy. Students will be able to supply the correct word in a cloze passage reading using context clues with 85% accuracy.

Areas of Bloom’s Taxonomy relevant to this lesson: Knowledge (Remembering): Students will identify, label, and recall the various cueing systems used to decode words and meaning. Comprehension (Understanding): Students will summarize the various strategies. Application (Applying): Students will use the strategies with the text. Analysis (Analyzing): Students will give reasons, verbally, for using certain strategies that assist them in figuring out an unknown word. Evaluation and Creating: Students will discuss which strategy is best for them. They will choose a strategy, within each situation, that helps them best and they will combine strategies and discuss with team.

Lesson Summary:This lesson consists of three parts. The first part is an introduction to the novel and a quick review of pre-reading strategies: looking at book cover, questioning what may be in the book, and thinking about what students already know about the topic, are covered. A KWL chart, which the students are familiar with, will be used to assist them in brining their prior knowledge


to the forefront is used as a pre-reading exercise. This section of the lesson is also a class centered Read Aloud of the beginning chapters of The Tale of Despereaux. At this time, students will use post-it notes to mark any unknown words. The second part consists of direct instruction covering three cueing systems. At this time, the instructor will teach strategies that can be used at the word level to uncover the meaning of unknown words (grapho-phonemic :Visual). The teacher will explain the process of understanding unknown words based on syntax (Structure). In addition, the instructor will discuss the semantic cueing system. He / she will model questions as well as the decision-making processes used to determine the importance of unknown words to the meaning of the text (Meaning). (The teacher will consistently use the terms visual strategy, structure strategy and meaning strategy even as the unit progresses. The students, in time, with continued practice will feel comfortable using these terms and discussing their word attack skills.) Within the second part of the lesson, practice will be given to be completed individually. Part three of the lesson consists of supervised reading groups. The students, in groups, will re-read the first chapters of The Tale of Desperaux and as a group they will use the strategies to determine the meaning of the unknown words tagged by the group's members at the beginning of the Read Aloud. They will define the words in their The Tale of Despereaux journal and label the strategy they used or found helpful in determining the definitions of the words in question.

Learning Context:The Tale of Despereaux is presented after a unit on fables and fairy tales. This, being a modern day fairy tale, gives students the opportunity to read and contemplate a variation on the fairy tale / fable genre. It gives them the opportunity to explore, in detail, themes and morals. This unit will focus on word awareness, fluency, comprehension, theme reflection and writing. The larger unit will focus on the middle ages for history. It will focus on basic science concepts that are touched upon in the story such as animal classification, light and dark (optics), sound, and simple machines such as levers and pulleys. Math concepts that will tie into the unit will be discussed such as the metric system, measurement, area, perimeter, circumference and fractions (see integrated unit curriculum chart). Art and music will also be integrated centered around the Middle Ages or concepts found in the novel.

Sequence of Lesson:Part One

The teacher introduces the unit by showing the class The Tale of Despereaux. The book is described as a modern day fairy tale about a mouse, a princess, a rat and a servant. She displays a KWL chart and asks the students to tell what they know about fairy tales, mice, rats, servants and princesses. The instructor guides them in the direction of making connections from knowledge and information outside of the novel. Some students may be familiar with the story itself and may want to summarize it, but this is not the point of the KWL chart. In this instance, students


are sharing what they know regarding mice, rats, princesses, servants and fairy tales. The teacher briefly explains the benefits of a KWL chart emphasizing the importance of making connections to better understand the text. The class brainstorms together recording what they already know and what they want to know. This is kept and referred back to, from time to time, during the unit. It is also used as an extension activity for gifted and talented students to motivate them to research further.

The teacher then discusses the importance of comprehending and understanding a story. A passage is read from Rumplestilskin with nonsense words inserted to create unknown words. Some of the words are essential and some are not. She asks the children to try to define the words. From this, she briefly introduces, while writing on the board, the three strategies for figuring out mystery words. She encourages the students explaining that they are already using some of these strategies without knowing the name of them. The teacher makes a chart: Visual, Structure, Meaning and describes the strategies that the students already used with the demonstration passage.

The teacher explains that she / he will begin reading The Tale of Despereaux and would like the students to follow along and, using post-it notes, mark any unknown words. The teacher explains that various strategies will be taught and the students will use them, within their groups, to define the words they mark after the teaching time.

The teacher reads aloud chapters 1 - 4 while the students mark all unknown words.

The students write unknown words in their The Tale of Despereaux journal while the teacher prepares the smartboard / whiteboard for direct instruction.

Part 2

The teacher explains the visual strategy to uncover unknown words. 1. First look at word. Look at first letter and last letter. 2. Determine if the word is a compound word; if so, divide and analyze accordingly. The teacher gives examples. 3. Determine if the word is made up of a root word and if it has a prefix or a suffix or both. Divide the word into these chunks and analyze each chunk. The teacher puts examples of prefixes (defined) and suffixes (defined) up on the board and reviews definitions. The teacher then gives examples of using the strategies described and models, through think-aloud, and encourages student participation. Practice is done as a whole class activity with individual erasable white boards. The students retrieve their boards. The teacher writes words on the board that are compound words and ones having prefixes and suffixes. Some examples: misinformed, semimonthly, telepathy, supernatural, transatlantic, jellyfish, whirlpool, haystack. The students write the words and divide them accordingly. They then write information they know about the word. The teacher asks students to describe their strategy and the meaning of the words. The visual strategy information is left on the smartboard. The teacher emphasizes that this strategy is most useful when used in conjunction with the other strategies. No strategy is isolated.


The teacher then describes the syntactic cueing system. She / he calls this the structure strategy because a sentence has a structure. This is written on the board. The teacher then writes a sentence on the board with a nonsense word. He / she suggests that the children try to figure out its' part of speech. Is it an adjective, noun, verb? The example follows: The thief garlished the treasure chest until there was nothing left. The teacher works through the sentence and labels the part of speech for the word. Then the sentence is read again. Through understanding the other words around it and its part of speech, the teacher deciphers the meaning of the word through thinking aloud. An extra example follows: The racecar bindled across the track at one hundred miles an hour causing a near crash.

The teacher describes the semantic cueing system. It is called the meaning strategy.

The teacher explains that in this strategy the focus is on the meaning of the text. All words are not pivotal (essential). The reader must decide if the word is important or not to the meaning of the passage. Here the teacher should confirm that it is ok to discover an unknown word and to keep reading to see if, eventually, the reader can still get the meaning from the passage without directly knowing the word. In this strategy, after reading some of the text the reader can ask questions to try to decipher the word based on the meaning in the text. Some questions follow: What do you think the passage is about? What do you think will happen next? What do the pictures tell? What would make sense in that sentence? Who is doing the action (if it is an action) and what do you know about that character? An example is given and the teacher uses the strategy while thinking aloud.

The teacher then displays all three strategies side by side on the board: visual, structure, meaning. The students have their white boards ready. The teacher asks which strategy, if used, takes apart the word, looking at prefixes, suffixes, and root words? The students write their answers. Any re-teaching is done here. Then she / he asks which strategy looks at the sentence and tries to determine the part of speech of the word? The students write their answers. The teacher can re-teach if necessary. Then, the teacher asks the last question. Which strategy uses the meaning within the passage? The students write their answers. The teacher encourages and re-emphasizes where needed. The teacher then asks: Are the strategies used one by one (or all by themselves) or all together?

An activity sheet is distributed to the students. It includes a prefix / suffix chart to be glued into their journals, an assignment covering prefixes and suffixes, sentence practice applying knowledge of word attack skills, and a cloze reading passage to practice using context.

Students complete the activity sheets and put them in the completed class work organizer.

Part 3

When completed the students gather into their reading groups. They re-read chapters 1-4 (each member reading a chapter). There should be approximately four members per group. They read with as much expression as possible and try to intonate different voices. They practice fluency.


When they come to an unknown word (an unknown word that any member of the group recorded) they raise their hand. The reader keeps reading until a natural pause. The reader then becomes the teacher by prompting the person who raised their hand and asking which word is unknown, if they feel it is important, and how they would go about figuring it out. They let that class member work through the strategies discussed to try to figure out the word prompting when necessary and helpful. The reading group keeps a copy of all unknown words and the person who was responsible for voicing their strategies. Each member should read one time and be the leader and each member should be recorded twice as having practiced the strategies. (If too loud, give group a star chip to determine who is talking and at what time)

The teacher, at this time, walks around to the groups to check understanding. A required number of unknown words must be recorded (8-10).

At the end of group, reading time all unknown words should be defined and strategies used listed. If the word cannot be defined a member of the group, dictionary Dan or dictionary Dana, should look it up in the dictionary. All of the unknown words that were written in the journals at the beginning of lesson should be now defined and recorded.

After, one member from each group takes the role of word-wall wisdom seeker. These members, from each group, meet to create a list of words without duplicates for the class word wall. These members then give the list to the card creators who make the cards for the word-wall.

Scaffolding Activities for At-Risk Students:Modify the number of examples and the work that is required on the individual assignment. Provide the names and definitions of all strategies on the assignments and on a card in the reading group. In the group reading time have the students responsible for one unknown word and provide assistance, if needed, from another member of the group. Have the student read aloud a half of a chapter instead of one whole chapter during group time.

Extension Activities for the Gifted or Talented Students:Have the students write a summary of chapters 1 - 4. Have students conduct research and lead a discussion in the following days regarding one of the topics listed on the KWL chart in the want to know section for extra credit or a homework pass.Add a PowerPoint to the presentation.

Time Allotment:Two class period. 1.75 Hrs per class.


Author’s Comments:

This lesson should take 1.5 hours but can be separated into sections between part 1, part 2 or part 3 with breaks in-between. It is preferable to separate it since it is a longer lesson.

List of Materials:

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamilo

Tale of Despereaux spiral language arts notebooks, one per student

KWL chart on smartboard or drawn on white board

KWL chart for each student to be glued into journals

Rumpelstiltskin passage with nonsense words inserted

Post-it notes for each student

Prefix-Suffix sheet to be glued into journals

The students' white boards with dry erase marker and eraser

Activity sheet (3 part)

Star chips (designated 'talking' chip) one per group (5 or 6 needed)

Dictionaries / Thesaurus

3x5 cards

Pencils, tape, glue stick

Standards:

MI- Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations• Subject : ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

• Grade : FOURTH GRADE• Strand : READING

• Topic : Word Recognition and Word Study Expectation: R.WS.04.01 Explain how to use word structure, sentence

structure, and prediction to aid in decoding words and understanding the meanings of words encountered in text.

Expectation: R.WS.04.02 Use structural, semantic, and syntactic cues to automatically read frequently encountered words, decode unknown words, and decide meaning, including multiple meaning words (e.g., letter/sound, rimes, base words, affixes, syllabication).


Expectation : R.WS.04.05 Acquire and apply strategies to construct meaning, self-monitor, and identify unknown words or word parts (e.g., engage actively in reading a variety of genre, self-monitor and correct in narrative and informational texts, use thesaurus).

Expectation: R.WS.04.06 Fluently read beginning grade level text and increasingly demanding text as the year proceeds.

Parental Involvement:Parents volunteer in the classroom to help students understand concepts taught. If a parent knows a romance language or classical language, they can come in and share some words and their meanings.

Field Trip Suggestions: Children can take a trip to the local library.

Assessments:The teacher will question the students through-out the lesson to determine their level of understanding. The handout sheets will also be corrected in class to further determine understanding prompting teacher reflection to modify, revise or re-teach the lesson.

The students will be evaluated from the class work / homework assignment given. They will also be assessed from their journals and their understanding of the three-cueing strategies, their use of strategies, and their reading within the reading groups.


Lesson Plan One References

O’Brien, P. (1998). The making of a knight. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Prefix / Suffix information. (2009). Fourth grade language arts skills. Internet4Classrooms.

Information used from this site to create chart and some of the sentences was

electronically retrieved on March 15, 2009 from

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_4th_lang.htm

Reading Quest. (2009). KWL chart. Retrieved electronically on March 15, 2009 from

www.readingquest.org

Zelinsky, P. (1986). Rumpelstiltskin.New York, NY: Scholastic.



Rumpelstilskin PassagePassage using nonsense words to practice determining meanings of unknown words from

context

Replace returned with shobuled.Replace rejoiced with sneckeled.Replace satisfied with renified.Replace ordered with kendied.


Figuring Out Unknown WordsVisual Strategy

Prefix / Suffix SheetList of prefixes

Prefix Meaning Prefix

Meaning

Un Not Bi Divided in twoTrans Across Anti Against/ OppositeTele Distance/From afar Inter BetweenSyn Together Uni OneTheo God Tri ThreeSuper Above Post AfterSemi Half Pre BeforeRe Back/ AgainNon NotMis Bad / Badly

List of suffixes

Suffix Meaning Suffix

Meaning

Able Can be accomplished Dom Quality or realmFul To be full of Fy To makeLess Without/ Lacking Ist One who does something/ That whichLy Like something/ similar to Ism System or conditionOr One who does action Ness State ofMent A state of Olog

yStudy of or science of

Er A person or thing that does somethingAte To cause or makeEse A native of/ Belonging to from birthEscent In the process of

Please keep this page to glue into your Tale of Despereaux journal. Put your name on the next page, complete the activities and place the assignment in the Classroom Work Returned organizer.


Example WordsPlease use a slash (/) to divide these words into chunks forming a prefix, root word, suffix. Not all words will have all three parts. Divide where appropriate.

1. Anticlockwise 6. Wisdom2. Captivity 7. Semicircle3. Bicycle 8. Trimester4. Pianist 9. Contentment5. Unison 10. Careless


Suffixes and PrefixesRead the sentences below. Think about the sentence. Analyze the word in italics. Think about the prefix or suffix as well as the root word provided. After using the visual strategy, please provide an answer on the blank line or circle the correct answer from the ones provided.

1. Precooked shrimp are shrimp that were cooked _____________ you bought them.

2. When you bisect a line, you divide it into how many parts? ______________

3. What does an antiperspirant do to sweat?

a. Support it

b. Go between it

c. Fight against it

4. Where are the traffic lights at the intersection?

a. After streets

b. Before streets

c. Between streets

d. Against streets

5. When a group acts in unison, it behaves as how many?

a. One

b. Two

c. Three

d. Four


Please fill in the blank below with a correct word. The word will have a suffix or a prefix. (The first three sentences use the same word in the form of a verb.)

1. An avid _ _ _ _ _ _ reads three or four books a week.

2. One who deceives other people can be called a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

3. My grandmother’s tendency to nurture everyone who comes to her house makes her a true _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

4. She is a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ businesswoman. (Hint: Full of success) (suffix needed)

5. The trapeze artist appeared _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. (Without fear) (suffix needed)

6. I bought the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ shrimp for the party. (Not yet cooked) (prefix needed)

7. Before a surgical operation, a patient is _ _ _ operative.

8. After surgery, a patient is _ _ _ _ operative.

9. My sister speaks two languages that makes her _ _ lingual.

10. The choir sounded like one voice because they sang in _ _ _ son. (Together as one)


Discovering Unknown Words by Using the Structure strategy

1. The vicious dog growled and snarled at its owner.

Part of speech:________________________Meaning:_____________________________

2. Julie and I did not mind sharing a room because we were so compatible.

Part of speech:________________________________Meaning:_____________________________________

3. I dropped my packages when someone in the crowd jostled me.

Part of speech:_________________________________Meaning:_____________________________________


Cloze Reading PassageThe Making of a Knight

“I am Sir James!I have come to fight for England!” James _____ into his father’s room, his wooden sword ________ the air before him. He imagined he was _______ a suit of _______ armor, traveling the countryside in search of adventure. “James,” said his father, “put aside your sword. I need to talk to you.” His father was a wise old knight, known throughout England for his ________ and strength. “Now that you are seven years old, it is time for you to become a ____ in a great castle, “ Jame’s father told him. “That means that one day, if you learn well and practice hard, you will become a knight as I am. Then you will have real weapons and armor and will no longer need your sword of wood.”(For those blanks you are unable to answer realize this may be an important word that when reading needs to be looked up or analyzed and not skipped. We will discuss in class)

Answers(Do not copy for handout)burst, slashing, wearing, shining, bravery, page

From The Making of a Knight by Patrick O’Brien


Lesson Plan TwoVocabulary

Author: Cindy Livingston

Subject: Language Arts (English), Reading, Vocabulary

Topic / Unit of Study: Lesson Two: The Tale of Despereaux - Vocabulary

Grade Level: Fourth GradeLesson Objective: Instructional (Teacher) Objective: The teacher will identify new vocabulary from the text. Strategies to understand the vocabulary from context clues will be discussed and practiced. Using the new vocabulary, in relevant contexts, will be emphasized. Teacher will teach antonyms and synonyms for given words within the text. Teacher will explain reference aids including dictionaries, thesauri, and on-line sources used for determining the meanings, pronunciations, syllabications, synonyms, antonyms and parts of speech of new vocabulary words. The teacher will use technology in this lesson teaching students how to search the internet and use an on-line dictionary and thesaurus.

Behavioral (Learner) Objective: The students will be able to decipher new vocabulary words by using context clues and reference aides. They will understand how use and how to locate antonyms and synonyms for a given word. They will learn how to locate, when given a word, its in antonyms and synonyms in both paper and on-line references. They will be able to say and write antonyms and synonyms for various words. When given words, students will be able to find both antonyms and synonyms with 100% accuracy. Students will understand how to use a dictionary for gaining information related to pronunciation, syllabication, and parts of speech of new words. When given words, they will be able to look them up in print and online resources and find their definition and their part of speech with 95% accuracy. They will also be able to use a thesaurus to locate both synonyms and antonyms.

Area of Bloom's Taxonomy Relevant to this Lesson: Knowledge (Remembering): Students will define antonym, synonym, and syllabication. Comprehension (Understanding): Students will communicate the definition of the above mentioned and summarize how to locate and analyze vocabulary. Application, Analysis and Synthesis (Creating): Students will construct and organize a T-chart of synonyms and antonyms. They will compare and contrast these and compose a story using these new words.

Lesson Summary: This lesson consists of six parts. It involves moving around and game playing. Please allow for transition time and have method for focusing students.


The students will learn new vocabulary words. They will use context clues and the dictionary (both on-line and print) to figure out the meanings of the words. A lesson will be given on antonyms and synonyms. They will use the thesaurus to locate words and apply appropriate words to the vocabulary words. Teacher will demonstrate an in-depth examination of one word. Students will read in reading groups, play vocabulary bingo, play vocabulary search and apply what they have learned by writing a short informative (newspaper) article.

Learning Context: This is a sequential lesson plan within a larger unit. It follows a lesson plan that focused on cueing systems and word attack skills. Skills were taught to uncover the meaning of unknown words by using various strategies. This lesson builds on the previous one by introducing new vocabulary words, trying to define them through contextual clues and looking them up in reference aids. It expands by including a lesson on synonyms and antonyms as well as syllabication and the pronunciation of words.

Sequence of Lesson:

Part One:

The teacher will introduce new vocabulary words found in Chapters 1-8 of The Tale of Despereaux. As a class, chapters 5 - 8 will be read aloud. The students will mark new vocabulary words ( not presented) with post-it notes. After, the teacher will review the vocabulary words and have the students try to define them using context cues and methods previously taught. The teacher as well as the students will use Modeling and thinking aloud. (Learning Style: Auditory and Visual)

Part Two:

The vocabulary words that are not figured out will be looked up in the dictionary. The teacher will explain how to find the pronunciation of the word in the dictionary as well as its syllabication. The students will practice, in their reading groups, looking up the words in the dictionary. They will write the definitions in their The Tale of Despereaux journal.

Part Three:

When finished the teacher will continue whole class teaching by explaining synonyms and antonyms. After defining these, the students will look up the words in thesauri and write down both synonyms and antonyms for chosen vocabulary words in their reading groups. These will be discussed and shared with the class to ensure that every student has synonyms and antonyms for the vocabulary words.

Part Four:

The teacher will play vocabulary Bingo with the class using the words from Chapters 1 - 8. Bingo forms are attached and should be laminated. Using dry erase markers, the students write the vocabulary words in different locations on the sheet using as many squares as necessary. The


teacher then says the definition or a sentence with a blank auditory cloze representing a word listed on the card. The teacher can also write all sentences on board or have them prepared on smartboard. (Kinesthetic)

Part Five:

The children will return to their reading groups and read chapters 5 - 8 again working on fluency.

Part Six:

After, they will receive a few key vocabulary words for the new chapters. They will play, in their groups, vocabulary sort. (See attached for definition of how to play this game) (Kinesthetic)

After this game they will, for homework, write a short newspaper article describing what will happen to Despereaux (prediction) using at least three of the vocabulary words, their synonyms or their antonyms. These will be presented in class on the following day.

The vocabulary words are as follows:

The teacher may modify them.

Desperate, despair, litter (10), speculation (16), obscenely (17), scurrying (20) (21), molding (21), indignant (24), destined (25), conform (25), indulge (27), scat (39), endangers, consorts (43), perfidy (45), Furlough (name of brother in chapter 9).

Vocabulary within next chapters: To be used for Vocabulary sort game: egregious (52), renounce (55) repent (55), collective outrage (56), devotion (61). Courtly love (61), beleaguered (77).

Scaffolding Activities for At-Risk Students:

Students will not be responsible for looking up and defining as many words as others. Students will be paired with a peer tutor who will assist them in searching the dictionary and thesaurus. Students can write part of the definition on their vocabulary bingo sheets. Their sheets can be half filled in with the answers. The students instead of writing an informative article can simply fill out a graphic organizer that plans the writing and describes characters, setting and events. It is possible to write story later for extra credit.

Extension Activities for Gifted / Talented Students:

Students will become peer tutors for those in need. Students will create the next vocabulary list (5 words) from future chapters. Students can read about Walt Disney and the creation of Mickey Mouse, define highlighted words from context clues, and add to class word wall. (See attached sheet) They can also give presentation in class summarizing article.

Time Allotment:2 class periods. 1.5 Hrs per class.


Author’s Comments:This lesson focuses on building vocabulary and word research skills. It may take two class periods but it can be modified if time is limited.

List of Materials:The Tale of Despereaux book

Post-it notes

Vocabulary and definition handout (to be glued in journal) (attached sep.)

Synonym and Antonym handout (to be glued in journal) (attached sep.)

Glue sticks, pencils, erasers, dry erase markers, erasers

Dictionaries

Thesauri

Dictionary Page (For overhead or put on smartboard) (attached sep.)

Vocabulary Bingo laminated sheet to be used throughout the unit: One for each student (att sep.)

Directions for Vocabulary Sort Game (attached sep.)

Paper

A Mouse is Born article for extension activity (att. sep.)

Standards:Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations

Subject : ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSGrade : FOURTH GRADE

Strand : READINGTopic : Word Recognition and Word Study

Expectation: R.WS.04.04 Know the meanings of words encountered frequently in grade level reading and oral language contexts.

Expectation : R.WS.04.05 Acquire and apply strategies to construct meaning, self-monitor, and identify unknown words or word parts (e.g., engage actively in reading a variety of genre, self-monitor and correct in narrative and informational texts, use thesaurus).

Expectation: R.WS.04.06 Fluently read beginning grade level text and increasingly demanding text as the year proceeds.

Expectation: R.WS.04.07 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in context (e.g., similes, metaphors, content vocabulary), using strategies and resources (e.g., context clues, semantic feature analysis,thesaurus).

Assessments:


The students will be assessed on their vocabulary defining skills. The required number of vocabulary words defined and the meaningful sentences written for their synonym and antonym charts.

Their writing assignment will be assessed using the rubric attached.


Lesson Plan Two References

Hodkinson, K. & Adams, S. (2007). A mouse is born. Wordly Wise 3000: Book 5. New York,

NY: Educators Publishing Service.

Merriam Webster. (1976). Dictionary Page for perfidy. Sringfield, MA: G & C Merriam

Company.

The Teacher’s Desk. (2009). Vocabulary sort game. Idea and directions electronically retrieved

on March 14, 2009 from http://instructionweb.com


All materials to be used with this lesson are attached in a separate file due to the size of

the attachments. It is labeled lesson 2 materials. Six material sheets are included in

conjunction with this lesson.


Lesson Plan ThreeFluency


Subject: Language Arts (English), Reading, Fluency

Topic / Unit of Study: Lesson Three: The Tale of Despereaux – Fluency: Reader’s Theater

Grade Level: Fourth Grade

Lesson Objective:

Instructional (Teacher) Objective: The teacher will teach students how to conduct a reader’s theater. The teacher will provide the opportunity to practice and develop fluency as a reader in a small group and whole class setting. The teacher will discuss the importance of reading with expression, understanding the characters, questioning oneself about the characters, their emotions and the setting of a text. The experience will help to increase fluency. The teacher will create an enthusiasm for reading and learning how to read.

Behavioral (Learner) Objective: The students will collaborate with peers and discuss as well as write about the main characters in a story emphasizing their emotions and their actions. They will chose a character and demonstrate an understanding of their personalities by analyzing their actions, background information and the setting of the book. They will question themselves to arrive at these conclusions. Given a graphic organizer, the students will be able to list five character traits of at least one character in the book with 95% accuracy. They will be able to apply this information in a representation of a character (or narrator) through a reader’s theater production. The students will learn how to conduct a reader’s theater by reading tips for staging and performance. They will increase their reading fluency and their comfort level when reading aloud to a group. The students will perform reading their script in front of an audience with 85% accuracy.

Area of Bloom's Taxonomy Relevant to this Lesson: Knowledge (Remembering): Students will recall plot of text to help them comprehend at a deeper level. Comprehension (Understanding): Students will understand reader’s theater incorporating the text into the performance. Application, Analysis and Synthesis (Creating): Students will create character maps from analyzing main characters. Students will organize a reader’s theater production. Evaluation: Students will evaluate the experience to determine if it helped them increase fluency and their motivation to learn to read.

Lesson Summary: This lesson will focus on the first chapters in The Tale of Despereaux. The teacher will introduce students to reader’s theater offering tips on the reading performance as well as staging. The


teacher will help the students understand the characters’ feelings and emotions. He / she will then help the students to put appropriate expression and intonation into a reading performance. The teacher will help students increase their fluency. The students will also be able to evaluate each other as well as themselves. They will also be given the opportunity to evaluate the lesson’s utility.

Learning Context:

This lesson follows a lesson plan focused on defining new vocabulary words. The previous lesson emphasized understanding how to use reference aids to help define meaning, learn how to pronounce new words and to learn the parts of speech of new words. This lesson builds on the previous one by introducing fluency and giving the students an opportunity to use new vocabulary words as well as familiar ones by performing a portion of the text.

Sequence of Lesson:

Introduce Reader’s theater to the class. Give an overview of what it is and how it will be carried out over the next class periods. Explain the presentation at the end. Describe the reasons for engaging in reader’s theater: increase fluency (explain fluency), increase comfort in reading, increase motivation to learn, as well as to increase comprehension of text, etc. Summarize the tips provided (attached) regarding staging and reading performance and encourage the students to apply these tips to their practice and their performance. Write main points on the smartboard or the white board. Pass out tips: One per group.

Read aloud chapters 1 – 8 again using intonation and applying character voices and personality traits into expression while reading. Popcorn read.

Show them the rubric that will be used to evaluate the readers. This should be presented in an upbeat way emphasizing what the teacher expects from each student.

Form the class into previously defined groups (four groups). Give each student a script. Give them time to read the scripts. Let them decide roles and give them strategies to work through this decision-making process.

Circulate around the room and give assistance where needed.

Pass out the character realization map graphic organizer. Once students have determined their role have them fill out the organizer. Encourage them to think about the character’s personality and their emotions. If they are the narrator encourage them to think about the situation and how they feel towards the characters in the scene.

Give the groups time to practice their scripts. Again, walk around the groups giving advice and reminding them about the tips.


Let the groups rehearse their scripts in front of the class. The class will give feedback using the student evaluation rubric provided.

Give a performance in front of the class. The teacher tapes the performance. Students take turns documenting the presentation by taking pictures using a digital camara. Students give oral feedback. The teacher evaluates using the evaluation rubric.

Perform the scripts for a second grade class.


Students will be paired accordingly by group and given an appropriate character for their reading level.


Students can read the tips for scripting and add to or write a new script that can be performed by class members.

Time Allotment:2 class periods. 1.5 Hrs per class.

Author’s Comments:This lesson focuses on building confidence and reading fluency. It should be a very fun and exciting lesson.

List of Materials:

The Tale of Despereaux book

Character Realization Map: Graphic Organizer

Scripts written by teacher (attached)

Reader’s Theater tips written by Aaron Shepard and modified by teacher (attached)

High and low stools or chairs

Folders or binders to hold scripts

Student feedback sheet

Teacher reader’s theater evaluation rubric

Standards:MI- Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations

• Subject : ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS• Grade : FOURTH GRADE

• Strand : SPEAKING


• Topic : Spoken Discourse Expectation : S.DS.04.01 Engage in interactive, extended discourse to

socially construct meaning (e.g., book clubs, literature circles, partnerships, or other conversation protocols).

Expectation : S.DS.04.02 Discuss narratives (e.g., mystery, myths and legends, tall tales, poetry), conveying the story grammar (i.e., various character roles, plot, story level theme) and emphasizing facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language.

• Strand : READING

• Topic : Word Recognition and Word Study

Expectation : R.WS.04.03 Automatically recognize frequently encountered words in print, with the number of words that can be read fluently increasing steadily across the school year.

Expectation : R.WS.04.06 Fluently read beginning grade level text and increasingly demanding text as the year proceeds.

Expectation : R.AT.04.01 Be enthusiastic about reading and learning how to read.


Lesson Plan Three References

Di Camillo, K. (2003). The tale of despereaux. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Shepard, A. (2009). Reader’s theater tips. Retrieved electronically on March 15, 2009 from

http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/Tips.html


Reader’s TheaterGeneral Introduction

By Aaron Shepard

Reader’s theater is often defined by what it is not—no memorizing, no props, no costumes, no sets. All this makes reader’s theater wonderfully convenient. Still, convenience is not its chief asset.

Like storytelling, reader’s theater can create images by suggestion that could never be portrayed realistically on stage. Space and time can be shrunk or stretched, fantastic worlds can be created, marvelous journeys can be enacted. Reader’s theater frees the performers and the audience from the physical limitations of conventional theater, letting the imagination soar.

Enjoy the magic of reader’s theater


Reader’s Theater Tips for Preparing, Rehearsing and Performing

By Aaron ShepardPreparing

First, here are instructions your readers can follow—individually or in a group—to prepare their scripts and get familiar with their parts.

Highlight your speeches in your copy of the script. Mark only words you will speak—not role tags or stage directions. (Yellow non-fluorescent marker is best.)

Underline words that tell about anything you’ll need to act out—words in either the stage directions or other readers’ speeches. If you’re given extra stage directions later, write them in the margin with pencil.

Read through your part silently. If there are words you’re not sure of, look them up in a dictionary. If there are words you must remember to stress, underline them. If there are places you’ll need to pause, mark them with a couple of slashes, //. (For instance, you may have to pause so the audience will know there’s a change of scene or time in the story.)

Read through your part out loud. If you’re a character, think about how that character would sound. Should you try a funny voice? How would the character feel about what’s happening in the story? Can you speak as if you were feeling that?

Get up and read through the script again, trying out faces and actions. Would your character stand or move a special way? Can you do that? If possible, do all this in front of a mirror.

Even before you give your readers their scripts, you can help them by reading to them the script or its source story. Effective modeling will give them a head start against any difficulties. You may also want to discuss the difference between characters and narrators. (“In the story, character parts are inside the quotation marks, and narrator parts are outside.”)

Rehearsing

Here are pointers your readers should remember both in rehearsal and performance.

Hold your script at a steady height, but make sure it doesn’t hide your face. If there’s anyone in the audience you can’t see, your script is too high.

While you speak, try to look up often, not just at your script. When you do look at it, move just your eyes and keep your head up.


Talk slowly. Speak each syllable clearly.Talk loud! You have to be heard by the little old deaf lady in the back

row.Talk with feeling. Audiences love a ham!Stand and sit straight. Keep your hands and feet still, if they’re doing

nothing useful! If you’re moving around, face the audience as much as you can. When

rehearsing, always think about where the audience will be.Characters, remember to be your character even when you’re not

speaking.Narrators, make sure you give the characters enough time for their

actions.To help your readers get full vocal power, have them check their

breathing by placing their hands on their stomachs and inhaling. If they’re breathing fully, their hands will go out. (The diaphragm muscle pushes down on the stomach to let the lower lungs expand.) If their hands go in, it means they’re breathing with only their upper lungs.

To help your readers hold themselves straight, ask them to imagine a string tied to their chest, pulling up. Tongue twisters and other vocal exercises can help them speak more clearly. In fact, you may want to warm up your readers with vocal exercises and stretches before your rehearsals and performances.

Performing

Before an actual performance, discuss with your readers the “what-ifs.”

If the audience laughs, stop speaking until they can hear you again. If someone talks in the audience, don’t pay attention. If someone walks into the room, don’t look. If you make a mistake, pretend it was right. If you drop something, try to leave it at least till the audience is

looking somewhere else. If a reader forgets to read, see if you can read their part instead, or

make something up, or maybe just skip over it. But don’t whisper to the reader!

If a reader falls on their rear end, pretend they didn’t.Finally, a couple of reminders for the director: Have fun, and tell your

readers what they’re doing well!


Tips on Staging: Reader’s TheaterBy Aaron Shepard and modified by Cindy Livingston

Stage MovementStage movement is encouraged.

Characters move around the stage much as in a play, acting out or suggesting the movements described in the story, often by simple mime devices like walking in place.

Though narrators look at the audience, characters most often look at each other.

Scripts in sturdy binders are held in one hand, leaving the other hand free for gesturing.

A set of low stools and a single high stool serve as versatile stage scenery/props.

It is unnecessary for the narrators to engage in movement if they do not to. They can place their scripts on music stands and face the audience, making eye contact but reading from a script placed on the stand.

Equipment

For reader’s theater, you really need nothing but scripts. But a little basic equipment can add a lot. Here are some suggestions:

Script binders. Sturdy ring binders are best. Whatever you use, make sure the pages turn easily. On stage, the binder may also become a prop, representing a book, a notepad, the surface of a table.

Smocks. These give the readers a team look, yet are also neutral—so readers can easily change character in the minds of the audience. The smock can be a simple rectangle of cloth with a headhole, fastened together at the sides.

Chair-height stools. These are your most useful props. For some stories, you won’t need any; for others, you may need one for each reader on stage. They must be solid enough to stand on!

High stools. One or two should be enough. These too should be solid enough for standing.


Portable screens. These are strictly optional, but they’re fun to use if they’re handy. They provide an alternative for entrances and exits and for some special effects.

Small props. These can sometimes add nice touches—as when a Pied Piper has a tin whistle to play.

Script Handling

The trick with scripts is to handle them so they can be referred to easily but don’t seriously restrict movement or distract the audience. The script is held by one hand only, leaving the other hand free for acting. For a relaxed grip, the binder spine can simply lie in the palm. If readers are moving around a lot, they can instead grip the binder’s top edge. Part of the binder rests against the upturned forearm.

Right-handers hold a script with their left hand, left-handers with their right. But sometimes a reader may have to switch hands, if a particular hand is needed for stage action, or if looking at the script turns the reader too far from the audience.

Though readers don’t need to memorize, they should know their lines and cues well enough so they can look up from their scripts about half the time. When they do look down, it’s only with the eyes, keeping the head straight up.

You will have to be flexible about script handling. A character who has to look upward for much of a scene may have to memorize part of the script. A narrator who has a long speech may have to run a free hand along the edge to keep the place. A reader who will have no free hand when a page must be turned can place that page backward in the binder to get two pages facing.

The “Set”

You don’t construct sets for reader’s theater—but you can suggest them. The narrator’s descriptions are brought to life by the readers’ movements and mime. If a reader opens a door, we see it. If readers hang ornaments on a Christmas tree, we know right where it is.

Stools are among your chief aids for suggesting sets, as well as being practical props. Three short stools in a semicircle can be a dining room. Two short stools close by each other can be a bench in a park, or a roof ridge atop a house. A single high stool can be a throne room. A high stool with a short stool next to it can be a tree to climb, or a mountain. An area with no stools can be anything at all!

As in theater, you start designing your “set” by figuring out what locations your script calls for. Then you position those locations on your


stage in whatever arrangement works and looks best. Look for ease of reader movement, stage balance, and openness to the audience.

Readers can move to different stage areas for different scenes. Or they can stay in the same area and you can “change the set.” Or the set can move to them! For instance, a reader could move from room to room in a house just by walking in place, climbing some stairs, and opening some doors—all without moving an inch.

Reader Movement

After designing your “set,” decide where your readers will start and where they will go. Don’t forget the narrators.

Drawing a series of movement diagrams can help you spot problems, save time during rehearsal, and jog your memory the next time you use the script. In one simple diagram system, circles are low stools, double circles are high stools, crosses are readers, and arrows show movement.

To go “offstage,” a reader doesn’t need to actually leave the area but can instead go BTA—“back to audience.” This indicates to the audience that the reader is out of the picture. If sitting on a stool, the reader can usually just turn around on it. If standing, the reader should also get out of the way by moving toward the back of the stage. Narrators seldom go BTA, even if they’re not reading for a while.

In regular theater, the curtain or the lights coming down indicates a “scene change”—a jump in time and/or place. In reader’s theater, this change is shown by some kind of break in movement. For instance, the readers can all “freeze” in place like statues. Or they can turn BTA, freeze, then come back in. Or they can freeze, then cross the stage for the next scene. If one scene in the story flows smoothly into the next, without a jump, you may not need a break at all.

Mime and Sound Effects

Whatever action is described in the script, readers should try either to do it or else to suggest it through mime. If someone is eating, we should see the fork carried to the mouth. If someone is hanging in the air, we should see the arm pulled tight by the floating balloon. If someone is racing a horse, we should see the galloping hooves.

The key word here is “suggest,” because the movements are often far from realistic. For instance, it’s hard to take off a coat realistically when one hand holds a script. Readers quickly learn to sleep sitting up, with their heads bent to the side. And walking in place is a reader’s favorite mode of travel.

Though formal mime techniques aren’t required, they do add polish to a performance. It’s always good to draw on proven tricks for walking in place, climbing up or down stairs or ropes or ladders, lifting or pulling


heavy objects, flying, falling, and so on. Look for library books on mime, or invite a local mime to conduct a workshop.

Part of successful group mime is being aware of the invisible. If a stool is meant to be a chair at a table, make sure no one walks through the table! Even a door that’s invisible shouldn’t shift position as different people pass through it. If two characters look at a picture on the wall, they will hopefully agree where it is!

Sounds in the story too should be added where possible—explosions, wind, bees, roosters, whatever. To help the illusion, this is usually handled by readers who are BTA.

Focus

Focus refers to where the readers are looking. Most of the time, it’s simple: Narrators use audience focus—they look straight at the audience. Characters use on-stage focus—they look at whoever they’re talking to, just as in plays or real life.

But sometimes you may want characters to use off-stage focus. The readers imagine a screen facing them, as wide as the stage, set up at the front edge of the audience. On this screen they imagine a mirror image of all the readers. Then instead of talking straight to each other, they talk to each other’s image. If you prefer, you can “move” the screen farther from the readers.

Offstage Focus

The most important use of off-stage focus is to help create illusions of distance or height. Two characters on the same stage but using off-stage focus can shout and wave at each other as if a mile apart. If one looks upward and one looks downward, you have a midget talking to a giant, or a woman in a window talking to a man in the street.

Characters can at times also use audience focus, addressing comments directly to the audience. They might also use this focus if the audience is drawn into the story—as might happen, for instance, if the audience suddenly becomes a hill completely covered with cats.

Beginnings and Endings


One reader should introduce the story with at least the title and the author. Beyond that, something can be said about the story, about the author, or about the performance. Just don’t give away the plot!

After the introduction, the readers wait to begin until they’re all in place and frozen and the audience is quiet.

At the end, the last words are spoken slowly and with rhythm, so the audience knows the story is over. Everyone recognizes the ending “hap-pily ev-er af-ter.” But the same effect can be achieved with almost any words by reading them in a “slow three.”

When the story is finished, the readers freeze for a long moment to break the action. Then they close their scripts, face the audience, and bow all together. You may want to assign one reader to lead this closing sequence.

Beginnings and endings should be rehearsed along with the story so they’ll go smoothly.


Reader’s Theater FeedbackStudent Copy

Group Number:______ Script Number: ________I feel this is how you related to the audience: (Circle one number)1----------------------2--------------------------3---------------------------4------------------------------5-----------------------6Needs Improvement Pretty Good ExcellentI feel this is how you used expression when you read your parts: (circle one number)1----------------------2--------------------------3---------------------------4------------------------------5-----------------------6Needs Improvement Pretty Good ExcellentI feel this is how your group staged the performance (moved around on stage to create good effect): (circle one)1----------------------2--------------------------3---------------------------4------------------------------5-----------------------6Needs Improvement Pretty Good ExcellentI feel this is how confident you looked: (circle one number)1----------------------2--------------------------3---------------------------4------------------------------5-----------------------6Needs Improvement Pretty Good ExcellentI feel this is how you projected your voice: (circle one number)1----------------------2--------------------------3---------------------------4------------------------------5-----------------------6Needs Improvement Pretty Good ExcellentI feel this is how you used gestures on stage: (circle one number)1----------------------2--------------------------3---------------------------4------------------------------5-----------------------6Needs Improvement Pretty Good Excellent

Give one positive comment:

Give one constructive comment that will help the group improve their performance:

Reader role:_____________________________________________Positive comment:

Reader role:______________________________________________Positive comment:




Reader role:______________________________________________


Reader’s Theater AssessmentTeacher

Reader Name:_________________________________

Group Number:________________________________

Script Number: ________________________________

Use of Script Presentation____Cue Pick-up ____Interest Level____Flow ____Audience Engagement____Pacing ____Confidence / not fidgeting or hiding____Handling

Reading Relationship with other Readers____Fluency (smooth reading) ____Physical / Gestures with other readers____Projection / Volume ____Focus / posture when not reading____Intonation ____Movement on Stage____Taking on role of character ____Appropriate grouping with others

Key! Great+ Good/Could ImproveX Not Prepared


Character Realization MapWho is it? Personality Traits / Emotions

Name of Character

Some examples of that character portraying those traits or emotions


Reader’s Theater: Group One (7) Students (one prop)Tale of Despereaux

Script 1

CharactersNarrator 1Narrator 2Narrator 3MotherFatherMerlotFurloughDespereaux (Does not say anything…can be in other group as well) Prop.

Narrator 1: This story begins within the walls of a castle, with the birth of a mouse. A small mouse. The last mouse born to his parents and the only one of his litter to be born alive.Mother: “Where are my babies?”Narrator: 1 Said the exhausted mother when the order was over.Mother: “Show me my babies.”Narrator 3: The father mouse held the one small mouse up high.Father: “There is only this one.”Narrator 2: He said.Father: “Yes there is just one. Will you name him?”Mother: “All of that work for nothing.”Narrator 2: Said the mother.Mother: “It is so sad. It is such the disappointment.”Narrator 2: She was a French mouse. Disappointment was one of her favorite words and she used it often. Father: “Well will you name him?”Mother: “Will I name him? Will I name him? Of course, I will name him, but he will only kie like the others. Oh so sad. Oh such a tragedy.”Narrator 1: The mouse mother held a handkerchief to her nose and then waved it in front of her face. She sniffed.Mother: “I will name him. Yes I will nhame this mouse Despereaux, for all the sadness, for the many despairs in this place. Now, where is my mirror?”Merlot: “Here is your mirror mother. You look very beautiful and very young.”Furlough: “Very beautiful, very young”Narrator 3: While mother mouse touched up her eye makeup, the mouse father put Despereaux down on a bed made of blanket scraps.


Narrator 2: The other, older mice children gathered around to stare at Despereaux.Merlot: “His ears are too big.” Those are the biggest ears I’ve ever seen.”Furlough: “Look, his eyes are open. Pa, his eyes are open. The shouldn’t be open.”Narrator 3: It is true. Despereaux’s eyes should not have been open. But they were. He was starting at the sun relecting off his mother’s mirror.Narrator 2: The light was shining onto the ceiling in an oval of brilliance, and he was smiling up at the sight. Merlot: “There’s something wrong with him.” Furlough: “Leave him alone.”Narrator 1: Despereaux’s brothers and sisters stepped back, away from the new mouse. Mother: “This is the last. I will have no more babies. They are such the disappointment. They are hard on my beauty. They ruin me, my looks. This is the last one. No more.”Father: “This is the last one, no more.”Merlot: “This is the last one, no more.”Furlough: “This is the last one, no more.”Narrator 3: “Everyone!” Said in a kind of sad tone but encouraging participation. (The student waves their arms to included all audience and every character to chant)Everyone: “This is the last one, no more.”Father: “And he will be dead soon. He can’t live. Not with his eyes open like that!”Narrator 1 & Narrator 2 & Narrator 3: But audience, he did live. This is his story.

Everyone leaves “stage”.


Reader’s Theater Group Two (7) StudentsTale of Despereaux

Script 2CharactersNarrator 1Narrator 2Narrator 3Narrator 4KingPrincess PeaDespereaux

Narrator 1: Despereaux’s Brothers and sisters tried in vain to educate him in the art of mouse-ness. But they soon abandoned this thankless task. Narrator 2: And so Despereaux was free.Narrator 3: He spent his days as he wanted: He wandered through the rooms of the castle, staring dreamily at the light streaming in through the stained-glass windows. Narrator 4: He went to the library and read over and over again…..(interrupted)Narrator 2: Yes audience, you heard it right. This special mouse could read.Narrator 4: (clear throat…irritated at being interrupted)…the story of the fair maiden and the knight who rescued her. Narrator 3: And he discovered, finally, the source of the honey-sweet sound. The sound was music.Narrator 4: The sound was King Phillip playing his guitar and singing to his daughter, the Princess Pea, every night before she fell asleep.Despereaux: “Oh! It sounds like heaven. It smells like honey.”Narrator 4: He stuck his left ear out of the hole in the wall so that he could hear the music better…Narrator 1: and then he stuck his right ear out so that he could hear better still.Narrator 2: And it wasn’t too long before one of his paws followed his head…Narrator 3: and then another paw, and then without any real planning on Despereaux’s part,…All Narrators: The whole of him was on display!Despereaux: “I want to get closer to that heavenly music”Narrator 4: Now audience Despereaux did not follow the normal ways of the ordinary mice but he did adhere to one rule and that was…Narrator 1: Do not ever, under any circumstances, reveal yourself to humans.


Despereaux: “But…. the music, the music. Princess Pea: “Oh Papa, look a mouse.”Narrator 2: The King stopped singing. He was nearsighted and could not see anything in front of his eyes.King: “Where?”Princess Pea: “There”King: “That, my dear Pea, is a bug, not a mouse. It is much too small to be a mouse.”Princess Pea: “No, no, it’s a mouse.”King: “A bug”Princess Pea: “A mouse”Narrator 3: Said Pea who knew that she was right.Princess Pea: “He’s frightened. Look, he’s so afraid he’s shaking. I think he was listening to the music. Play something, Papa.”King: “A King play music for a bug?” “Is that proper, do you think?” “Wouldn’t that make this into some kind of topsy-turvey, wrong-headed world if a king played music for a bug?”Princess Pea: “Papa, I told you, he’s a mouse. Please?”King: “Oh well if it will make you happy, I, the king, will play music for a bug.”Princess Pea: “A mouse.”Narrator 1: The king adjusted his heavy gold crown. Narrator 2: He cleared his throat.Narrator 3: He strummed the guitar and started to sing a song about stardust.All Narrators: Despereaux forgot all his fear. He only wanted to hear the music.Narrator 1: He crept closerNarrator 2: And closerNarrator 3: And closerNarrator 4: And closerNarrator 4 whispers and encourages the audience to chant ALL “And Closer”Narrator 2: Until audience, he was sitting right at the foot of the king.

All readers leave “stage”.


Reader’s Theater Group three (6) StudentsTale of Despereaux

Script 3CharactersNarrator 1Narrator 2DespereauxPrincess PeaFurloughAudience member (A Student sitting in the audience)

Narrator 1: The Princess Pea Looked down at Despereaux. She smiled at him. And while her father played another song, a song about the ddp purple falling over sleepy garden walls, the prnicess reached out and touched the top of the mouse’s head.Narrator 2: Despereaux stared up at her in wonder. The Pea, he decided, looked just like the picture of the fair maiden in the book in the library.Narrator 1: The princess smiled at Despereaux again, and this time, Despereaux smiled back.Narrator 2: And the, something incredible happened: The mouse fell in love.Narrator 1: Audience, you may ask this question; in fact, you must ask the same question I am pondering…Student as Audience Member Stands up: “Is it ridiculous for a very small, sickly, bigeared mouse to fall in love with a beautiful human princess named Pea?”Narrator 2: The answer is…..Narrator 1: Yes! Of course, it’s ridiculous.Narrator 2: Love is ridiculous.Despereaux: “But love is also wonderful. And powerful. “Narrator 1: And audience Despereaux’s love for the Princess Pea wold prove, in time, to be all of these things: Narrator 2: powerful, wonderful and ridiculous.Princess Pea: “You’re so sweet.” “You’re so tiny.”Narrator 1: As Despereaux looked up at her adoringly, Furlough happened to scurry past the princess’s room, moving his head left to right, right to left, back and forth.Forlough: “Cripes”


Narrator 2:He stopped. He started into the princess’s room. His whiskers became as tight as bowstrings.Narrator 1: What Furlough saw was Despereaux Tilling sitting at the foot of the king. What Furlough saw was the princess touching the top of his brother’s head.Forlough:”Cripes”Narrator 2: Shouted Forlough.Forlough:”Oh Cripes! He’s nuts! He’s a goner!”Narrator 1: And, executing a classic scurry, Furlough went off to tell his father, Lester Tilling, the terrible….Narrator 2: the unbelievable Narrator 1: The shocking…Narrator 2: news of what he had just seen.

Readers leave “stage.”

Reader’s Theater Group Two (8) StudentsTale of Despereaux

Script 4(Note: For those students who did not have a substantial part in last script, they can play another part

in this one)CharactersNarrator 1Narrator 2Narrator 3Father MouseMother MousePrincess PeaKingDespereaux

Father Mouse: “He CAN NOT, he simply cannot be my son.”Narrator 1: Lester said as he clutched his whiskers with his front paws and shoot his head from side to side in despair.Mother Mouse: “Of course he is your son. What do you mean he is not your son? This is a ridiculous statement. Why must you always make the ridiculous statements”…more to herself “I need my mirror.”Father Mouse: “You.” “This is your fault. The French blood in him has made him crazy.”Mother Mouse:”C’est Moi? C’est Moi?” “Why must it always be I who takes the blame? IF your son is such the disappointment, it is as much your fault as mine.”Father Mouse: “Something must be done.”


Narrator 2: Said Lester, as he pulled on a whisker so hard that it cam loose. He waved the whisker over his head.Narrator 1: He pointed it at his wife.Father Mouse: “He will be the end of us all.”Narrator 2: He shouted.Father Mouse: “Sitting at the foot of a human king. Unbelievalbe! Unthinkable!”Mother Mouse:”Oh, so dramatic.”Narrator 1: Said Mother Mouse, as she held out one paw and studied her painted nails.Mother Mouse:”He is a small mouse. How much of the harm can he do?”Father Mouse: “If it is one think I have learned in this world, it is that mice must act like mice or else there is bound to be trouble. I will call a special meeting of the Mouse Council. Together, we will decide what must be done. He must be punished. He must be brought before the tribunal.” Narrator 2: Lestor dug through some paper scraps and found the council signal drum. He turned back to his wife and closed his eyes and took a deep breathNarrator 1: And began to beat the drum slowly,Narrator 2: one long beat with his tail,Narrator 1: two staccato beats with his paws.Narrator 2: BoomNarrator 1: Tat-tatNarrator 2: BoomNarrator 1: Tat-tatNarrator 2: BoomNarrator 1: Tat-tat.Narrator 3: And what was our own favorite member of the mouse community doing while the soundof the Mouse Council drum echoed through the walls of the castle?Audience, I must rport that Furlough had not seen the worst of it. Despereaux sat with the princess and the king and listened to song after song. At one point, gently,, oh so gently, the Pea picked up the mouse in her hand. She cupped him in her palm and scratech his oversize ears.Pea: “You have lovely ears. They are like small pieces of velvet.”Narrator 3: Despereaux thought that he ight faint with the pleasure of someone referring to his ears as small and lovely.Narrator 1: He laid his tail against the Pea’s srist to steady himself and he felt the princess’s pulse,Narrator 2: the pounding of her heart,Narrator 3: and his own heart immediately took up the rhythm of hers.


Pea: “Papa, I am going to keep this mouse. We are going to be great friends.”Narrator 1: The king looked at Despereaux cupped in his daughter’s hands. He narrowed his eyes..King: “A mouse”Narrator 2: He muttered.King: “A rodent”Pea: “What”King: “Put it down.”Narrator 3: The king commanded.Pea: “No”Narrator 1: Said Pea, who was a person not at all used to being told what to do.Pea: “I mean why should I?”King:”Because I told you to.”Pea: “But why?”Narrator 1: Protested Pea.Pea: “Because it is a mouse. I know. I’m the one who told you he was a mouse.”King:”I wasn’t thinking.”Narrator2: Said the king.King:”Your mother. The queen..”Pea: “My mother”Narrator 3: Said the Pea sadly.King:”Mice are rodents, They are related to ….rats. You know how we feel about rats. You know of our own dark history with rats.”Narrator 1: Pea shuddered.Pea: “But Papa, he is not a rat. He’s a mouse. There’s a difference.”King: “Royalty has many responsibilities. And one of the is not becoming involved personally with even the distant relatives of one’s enemies. Put him down Pea.”Narrator 2: The princess put Despereaux down.King:”Good girl”Narrator 3:Then he looked at DespereauxKing:”Scat”Narrator 3: He said.Narrator 1: Despereaux however, did not scat. He sat and stared up at the princess.Narrator 2: The King stamped his foot.King:”Scat”Narrator 3: He shouted.Pea: “Papa, please, don’t be mean to him.”Narrator 1: And she began to weep.Narrator 2: Despereaux, seeing her tears, broke the last of the great, ancient rules of mice. He spoke. To a human.Despereaux: “Please, don’t cry.”


Narrator 3: He held out his handkerchief to the princess.Narrator 1: Pea sniffed and leaned down close to him.King:”Do not speak to her!”Narrator 2: thundered the king.Narrator 3: Despereaux dropped his handkerchief. He backed away from the king.King: “Rodents do not speak to princesses. We will not have this becoming a topsy-turvey, wrong-headed world. There are rules. Scat. Get lost, before my common sense returns and I have you killed.”Narrator 1: the king stamped his foot again. Despereaux found it alarming to have such a big foot brought down with so much force and anger so close to his own small head. He rean toward the hole in the wall.Narrator 2: But he turned before he entered it. He turned and shouted to the princess.Despereaux: “My name is Despereaux.”Pea: “Despereaux?”Despereaux: “I honor you!”Narrator 3: shouted Despereaux.Narrator 1: I honor you was what the knight said to the fair maiden in the story that Despereaux read every day I the book in the library. Narrator 2: Despereaux had mttered the phrase often to himself, but he had never before this evening had occasion to use it when speaking to someone else.King:”Get out of here!”Narrator 2: shouted the king, stamping his foot harder ..Narrator 3: and then harder still so it seemed as if the whole castle, Narrator 1: the very worldNarrator 2: were shaking.King: “Rodents know nothing of honor.”Narrator 3:Despereaux ran into the hold and from there he looked out at the princess.Narrator 1: She had picked up his handkerchief and she was lookin gat him…Narrator 2: right, directly into his soul.Pea: “Despereaux”Narrator 3: she said.Narrator 1: He saw his name on her lips.Despereaux: “I honor you.”Narrator 2: whispered Despereaux.Despereaux: “I honor you.”Narrator 3: He put his paw over his heart. Narrator 1: He bowed so low that his whiskers touched the floor.Narrator 2: He was, alas, a mouse deeply in love.


Readers leave “stage.”


Lesson Plan FourComprehension


Subject: Language Arts (English), Reading, Comprehension

Topic / Unit of Study: Lesson Four: The Tale of Despereaux – Connection Chart

Grade Level: Fourth GradeLesson Objective:

Instructional (Teacher) Objective: The teacher will increase students’ comprehension and inference skills by teaching the connection strategy. The students will learn how to make connections between the text and self, other texts and the world. The teacher will demonstrate how to make connections to the text using a connections graphic-organizer. The teacher will demonstrate connection making and explain how this increases comprehension and the ability to understand the story’s themes. The teacher will periodically check for understanding and goal attainment by spacing instruction and practice time. Mini lessons will be taught at the group level if necessary.

Behavioral (Learner) Objective: The students will learn how to make connections with the story to better understand themes, relate to the characters, and increase comprehension. The students will write at least four statements (12 total) describing a connection between text and self, text and another text and the text and real life. These statements will be written in a connections chart provided by the teacher. The students will compare and contrast Despereaux and Wesley. They will be able to place six characteristics in a VENN diagram of the similiarities and differences between the characters with 100% accuracy. They will provide The students will answer four inference questions regarding the story. They will provide at least one example with each question. They will use one connection example to infer meaning.

Area of Bloom's Taxonomy Relevant to this Lesson: Comprehension (Understanding): Students will explain the utility of making connections to the text. Application: They will apply this knowledge by making connections to a new text introduced during the lesson. Synthesis (Creating): Students combine information from connections made to generate ideas regarding possible themes in the text and predictions about the plot. The students will answer inferential questions regarding the story.

Lesson Summary: This lesson will cover chapters 9 – 15 in The Tale of Despereaux. The teacher will introduce the connections chart, the strategy and utility of making connections while reading. The teacher and the students will read chapters in The Tale of Despereaux aloud. At this time, the connection to self-strategy will be demonstrated. The teacher will encourage active participation. The teacher


will check for understanding, ask questions and require examples that will be written on the board. Another book will be read aloud: Weslandia by Paul Fleishman. The students, in groups, will make connections centered on text to text. The students will make connections to the real world by reading a current events story and asking themselves questions about the world around them. They will, independently, make connections between the story and real life. Discussion will occur regarding the many connections recorded. These will then be expanded to relate to the characters and uncover thematic elements. Information will be recorded and predictions will be made regarding the story.

Learning Context: This lesson occurs after the reader’s theater. The students are developing sensitivity to the characters. They are learning emotion words as well as personality traits. They are learning how to infer meaning from the text based on a deeper knowledge of the characters. This lesson takes that one-step further. It exemplifies a strategy that allows readers to understand story characters, setting and plot in order to increase comprehension.

Sequence of Lesson:

The teacher introduces the connections strategy and explains how good readers ask questions while reading because they make connections between themselves and the story. They ask: “Is there something or someone in the story like me?” At this time, the teacher should draw the chart on the board. Emphasizing the Text – Self connection is important here. The teacher points out that there are two other columns to make connections (she / he briefly explains what they are) but emphasizes that they will be taught later in the lesson.

The teacher begins to read the story and while reading makes connections to self. She / he encourages sharing and participation. Sometimes the reading is paused to fill in the chart under connections to self.

While reading, the teacher also models general question asking.

The teacher allows other children to read and asks the students to share connections, when appropriate, while she writes them on the board. The active comprehension strategy is applied. The teacher asks questions that will lead to students asking more questions.

The teacher checks for comprehension by asking comprehension questions when appropriate. If review is in order it is unfolded at this time.

The teacher models inference by stating things about the characters that are not directly stated in the text but apply. Emphasizing this, the teacher encourages active thinking about the characters, the setting and the themes. Inference type questions are asked at this time.

After the chapters are read. Discussion begins. Connections are shared and inferences are made about the characters based on the story and on the connections. The ReQuest method is applied.


The stump-the-teacher game is played. The children examine the text and ask the teacher questions. The teacher thinks out-loud and answers the questions.

The teacher then points out the second column of the chart: Text – Text. At this time an explanation is given about text to text. The teacher asks: “Is there something or someone in the story that reminds you of people or things in another story?” Discussion continues.

The teacher holds up three books: Days of the Knights: A Tale of Castles and Battles by Christopher Maynard, The Middle Ages: A Watts Guide for Children edited by William Chester Jordan and Weslandia by Paul Fleischman. The teacher shows the covers of the book and asks the students what they know about knights, kings and castles. She reads portions of the first two and Weslandia.

The teacher again models aloud but less direct modeling is given and more questions are asked of the students. They are encouraged to participate and make connections between Weslandia and The Tale of Despereaux. The teacher checks for understanding and notes any students who may be having difficulty.

The teacher distributes a connections chart to each student.

Students work in their reading groups to fill in the chart based on Weslandia (text-text). A copy of Weslandia is given to each group so the students can read it again silently if necessary. The teacher circulates, assisting where necessary and asking inferential questions when talking with group members. A VENN diagram is given to the children and they compare and contrast Despereaux and Wesley. At this time the teacher circulates the room visiting every group. The teacher checks for understanding and also examines spelling and grammar as the children write. She provides mini lessons when appropriate.

The teacher then explains the chart: text-world. The teacher encourages students to think about how the story resembles their life. The question modeled here is “Are there people in the story who remind me of people I know? Are there things happening in the story that remind me of things happening around me, at home or at school or in my neighborhood?”

The teacher writes these questions near the class chart and keeps them up for reference. The teacher again models and thinks out loud for the children always connecting something and bringing out hidden meaning in the text.

Time is given for the students to individually fill out the chart.

The chart is collected to be evaluated with feedback offered.

The teacher then passes out an assignment. This assignment asks inferential questions regarding the story, the characters and the setting. The students are encouraged to put all the information together to try to answer the questions. It is explained and reviewed in class but given as homework.


When finished the teacher has the students draw the chart in their The Tale of Despereaux journals and write the following questions:

Text – Self: Is there something or someone in the story like me?

Text-Text: Is there something or someone in the story that reminds you of people or things in another story?

Text-Real life: Are there people in the story who remind me of people I know? Are there things happening in the story that remind me of things happening around me at home, at school, in my neighborhood?


At-Risk students will not be required to completely fill in the chart. They can also work with a peer tutor. They will be given a copy of the questions to ask: What in the story reminds me of me? Is there someone or something in the story that reminds me of someone or something in another story? Is there something or someone in the story that reminds me of someone or something in my home or my neighborhood, my school or my community? The At-Risk student can be excused from answering the last two inferential questions on the homework sheet.


Extension activities: Write a short paragraph describing a connection the student has with the text. Use an example. Write a poem comparing and contrasting a character in the story to someone at home, at school or to oneself. Write an acrostic poem from the letters DESPEREAUX trying to include as many character traits as possible that fit Despereaux.

Field Trip / Extra Curricular Activity:

A field trip to the art museum including a walk through of the Middle Ages room is an appropriate activity. The students would observe armor, weapons, dress and artifacts from the days of knights and castles. They could draw a suit of armor or a crest representing their family name.

Parents come in and talk about heroes. They discuss who inspired them in life showing a picture of their hero or mentor. A hero day is established where the students and parents share their heroes.

Time Allotment:2 class periods. 1.5 Hrs.

List of Materials:



Connections chart: One for each student

Weslandia by Paul Fleischman (Five copies, one for each reading group)

The Middle Ages: A Watts Guide for Children edited by William Chester Jordan

Days of the Knights: A Tale of Castles and Battles by Christopher Maynard.

VENN diagram

Inferential Question assignment about The Tale of Despereaux

Assessments:

The students will be assessed on the connections chart, the VENN diagram and on the Question assignment. The criteria will be explained to the students and written on the assignment sheets. They must have, at minimum, four connections listed for each section within the connections chart (12 in total). They are required to list at least six characteristics on the VENN diagram without repetition. They are required to provide at least one example of a connection when answering the questions on the Question assignment.

Standards:MI- Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations

• Subject : ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS• Grade : FOURTH GRADE

• Strand : READING• Topic : Comprehension

Expectation : R.CM.04.01 Connect personal knowledge, experience, and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses.

Expectation : R.CM.04.03 Explain oral and written relationships among themes, ideas, and characters within and across texts to create a deeper understanding (e.g., categorize and classify, compare and contrast, draw parallels across time and culture).

Topic : Metacognition

Expectation : R.MT.04.01 Independently self-monitor comprehension when reading or listening to text by automatically using and discussing the strategies used by mature readers to increase comprehension and engage in interpretive discussions (e.g., predicting, constructing mental images, representing ideas in text, questioning, rereading or listening again inferreing, summarizing).


Lesson Plan Four References


Jordan, W. (Ed.). (1999). The middle ages: A watts guide for children. New Jersey: Grolier

Publishing.

Maynard, C. (1998). Days of the knights: A tale of castles and battles. New York: DK

Publishing.

Weissman, A. (2003). Candlewick press teacher’s guide. Cambridge, MA. Electroncially

retrieved March 16, 2009 from

http://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763617229.mis.1.pdf



Connections Chart

Text - Self Text - Text Text – Real Life

(Please provide four connections for each section)


The Tale of DesereauxLesson 4: Questions

1. What happens when Despereaux’s sister Merlot tries to teach him to nibble paper? How does this affect the rest of the story?

2. Why does the King tell the Princess not to speak with Despereaux? When Despereaux leaves the Princess, he says to her, "I honor you." Why?

3. Would Despereaux help someone in need? Explain with example?

4. Would Despereaux make a good engineer or scientist? Explain?

(Please use one example of a connection at least once when answering any of the following questions)


Compare and Contrast Despereaux and Wesley

Despereaux Wesley

(Please provide at least six characteristics on thi

(Please provide at least six characteristics on this chart)


Lesson Plan FiveWriting


Subject: Language Arts (English), Reading, Writing

Topic / Unit of Study: Lesson Five: The Tale of Despereaux – Writing

Grade Level: Fourth GradeLesson Objective:

Instructional (Teacher) Objective: The teacher will demonstrate how to write a formal persuasive letter, to an audience in the book, (Mouse Council, King, Princess Pea, Father Lester) asking for the release or pardon of Despereaux. The teacher will teach the format of letter writing. The teacher will explain and guide students in choosing how they will present ideas to their audience; highlighting differences in recipients’ points of view and how these can impact the effectiveness of the letter. The teacher will describe and guide students through the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. The teacher will conduct mini-lessons on logic (cause and effect), spelling, handwriting and grammar as needed. The teacher will use a planning map, a spider map and proofreading checklists as well as a rubric for evaluating the students’ work.

Behavioral (Learner) Objective: The students will learn the six sections of a formal letter. When given a persuasive letter to read, they will identify all six parts with 100% accuracy. The students will apply this knowledge by writing a letter that includes all six parts: Heading, recipient’s address, greeting, body, salutation or closing, and signature line. The students, when given a sample letter, will identify the main idea and the supporting details. The students, after reading persuasive letters, discussing with each other and teacher, planning using graphic organizers, will write a persuasive letter requesting the release of Despereaux that includes, at least, two reasons or persuasive examples supporting the main idea. The students will completely fill out a planning map and a spider map before the draft writing stage. The students will produce a rough draft, a revision including a proof reading checklist, as well as a final copy of the letter.

Areas of Bloom’s Taxonomy Relevant to the Lesson:

Knowledge: The students will identify the six parts to a formal letter.

Understanding: The students will summarize Despereaux’s situation in order to write the letter.

Application: The students will use what they have learned regarding formal letter writing and persuasive writing and apply these skills to a new situation (writing a letter to chosen audience).


Analysis: The students will analyze Despereaux’s situation as well as the situation of the chosen audience and give reasons why the audience would benefit from Despereaux’s release. In this phase, the students must test various scenarios and perceive the interrelationships of them.

Synthesis: The students will compose a letter that proposes solutions and presents reasons for the request. All information regarding the story’s plot, characters, setting will be synthesized to create a persuasive argument.

Lesson Summary: This lesson covers how to write a formal persuasive letter using information from the story The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DeCamilo. It teaches the five stages of writing and how to write considering different points of view.

Learning Context: This follows a lesson designed to increase comprehension by using the connections strategy. It follows a lesson that provided in-depth analysis of the main character and his situation. This lesson provides a summary of Book One in The Tale of Despereaux and leads as a bridge for Book Two. Sequence of Lesson:

The teacher will introduce the lesson by saying: “Despereaux needs your help.” The teacher will ask the students how they think they could help Despereaux out of the dungeon. The students brainstorm and write ideas on the board.

The teacher introduces the power of letter writing and explains the lesson and the writing activity.

The teacher reads Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Anderson and Matt Faulkner. She emphasizes the determination and courage Sarah demonstrated and the power of the letters she wrote. She / he discusses with the class. The discussion is guided and questions asked regarding how the letters were written. What reasons did she give to nationalize Thanksgiving? How do you think she presented them? Discussion continues and the teacher models thinking aloud.

The teacher will introduce and explain the six parts to a formal letter.

The teacher will put on the smartboard or an overhead a persuasive letter. With the class, the six parts will be identified.

The teacher will distribute formal persuasive letters to the class. One for each student. They will read the letter (letters will vary) and identify all six parts.

The class will discuss common elements in persuasive style writing. The teacher will write these elements on the board.

The students, with teacher instruction, will verbally identify the request (main idea) in a few sample letters and list the supporting details. (Whole-class activity).


The students, in groups, will identify the main idea and the supporting details in writing using a spider map of a persuasive letter.

The teacher will review the assignment and the rubric. She will explain the process of writing and tell students the length of the project.

The teacher will review the planning organizer.

The students will individually fill out a planning organizer choosing an audience for their letter.

The class will discuss differences in the point of view of various audiences and brainstorm ways to persuade them to release Despereaux. The teacher will check for understanding. At this time, if some students do not understand she will, as a small group, work with them.

She will pass out the spider map and have students fill in the main idea and supporting details they will use in the letter. The teacher circulates the room providing mini-lessons when appropriate.

The students, after spider map is approved, can begin work on a rough draft on the letterform provided. The teacher sets up challenge zones and helps small groups at a time.

Once students have finished their draft, they will edit each other’s letters using the editing checklist or the proofreading checklist.

If necessary, upon teacher reflection. Some time could be spent on the teacher demonstrating editing on a letter he / she wrote.

For peer editing, suggestions should be made regarding main idea, supporting ideas, sequence and organization of paragraphs, transitions etc. At this phase, substantive changes are suggested and are made. (The teacher makes a distinction between editing and final revision or proofreading)

Students enter the revising stage. At this point the teacher conferences one-on-one (five minutes) with each student.

The students proofread their own compositions, using a proofreading checklist and increasingly identify and correct their own errors.

Students publish a final draft of the letter to be read in class, and if decided, to be sent to volunteers requesting a reply.


At-Risk students will copy information from the organizer to the letter and are required to provide only one supporting detail within one paragraph.


The teacher will provide the supporting ideas for the students after students have chosen their audience.

If students need review of plot summary, traits of main characters, letter writing parts, etc. they can play the road game. Game board provided. Roll dice and take turns asking each other questions and figuring out answers. Who ever reaches the end first wins. (game board attached)

If the letter writing is much too difficult, have students fill in squares on the game board with actions they would take to get Despereaux out of the dungeon.


Extension activities: Students can use Pivot to design a stick man animation on the internet to replicate Despereaux’s fall into the dungeon hoping to illicit sympathy and expedite the release of Despereaux. This free software can be downloaded from: www.snapfiles.com/php/download.php?id=107965

Field Trip / Extra Curricular Activity:

Field trip to the post office is taken. An understanding is gained regarding the following: The journey of a letter, jobs in the postal service, services provided by the postal system.

Stamp collecting is conducted. Students bring in old or new stamps. They are placed on a map and displayed.

Stamps are created. Parent volunteers help the students design stamps for the Kingdom of Dor by making print blocks from wood. The art of William Morris is shown and described.

Parental / Community Involvement:

The letters are sent to volunteers: parents, principal, community leaders with a request to reply. The assignment is explained including a short description of the story and the reason (educational growth and motivation for students) for the requested reply.

The replies are read in class and discussed. Logic and various points of view are considered.

Time Allotment:Two class periods. 1.5 Hrs.

List of Materials:


Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Anderson and Matt Faulkner


Definition of parts of a letter

Examples of persuasive letters (at least one for each student)

Example of formal persuasive letter (parts defined and highlighted)

Guidelines / steps for writing the letter (helping aid)

Letter writing planning map (attached in sep. file)

Spider map (attached in sep. file)

Editing checklist

Proof read checklist (attached in sep. file)

Road Map game (attached in sep. file)

Assignment: Letter writing rubric

Paper, pens, envelopes

Assessments:

Students are assessed for understanding during class discussion and group work both verbally and in their written work. The teacher will monitor the students as they fill in the planning map and the spider map. Teacher will also approve these assignments before writing the letter.

The teacher will make frequent checks for understanding at appropriate pauses in the lesson using the hand standard spectrum. (Outstretched: Students feel comfortable and understand 100%, held tight to body: Students feel uncomfortable or lost).

Evaluation:

The teacher will evaluate the letter writing using a writing rubric. The teacher will determine if the students understood letter writing as well as persuasive writing with, at least, 80% accuracy.

Standards: MI- Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations

Subject : ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS• Grade : FOURTH GRADE

• Strand : WRITING• Topic : Writing Process

Expectation : W.PR.04.01 Set a purpose, consider audience, and replicate authors’ styles and patterns when writing narrative or informational text.

Expectation : W.PR.04.02 Apply a variety of drafting strategies for


both narrative and informational text (e.g., graphic organizers such as story maps, webs, Venn diagrams) in order to generate, sequence, and structure ideas (e.g., plot, connecting time, setting, conflicts, resolutions, definition/description, chronological sequence).

Expectation : W.PR.04.04 Constructively and specifically respond orally to the writing of others by identifying sections of the text to improve organization (e.g., rearranging paragraphs and/or sequence, relating main and supporting ideas, using comparative transitions).

Expectation : W.PR.04.05 Edit and proofread their writing using appropriate resources (e.g., dictionary, spell check, grammar check, grammar references, writing references) and grade level appropriate checklists both individually and in groups.


Lesson Plan Five References




English Plus. (2008). Business letters. Electronically retrieved on March 17, 2009 from

http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000149.htm

Persuasive Writing Guidelines. (2009). Writing steps. Retrieved electronically March 17,

2009 from http://www.hiddenvilla.org/OnlineCurric/teacher/curculum/actpersv.html)

Persuasive Writing Samples. (2009). Example writing. Retrieved electronically March 17,

2009 from http://www.washburn.edu/services/zzcwwctr/persuasive-ltrs.wm.txt

Scholastic Red. (2000). Graphic Organizers: Planning chart and spider map. Retrieved

electronically March 15, 2009 from http://www.scholastic.com

Smith, M. (2009). The revised checklist. Writer’s Workshop. Electronically retrieved on March

17, 2009 from http://www.rccsd.org/MSmith/Writers'Workshop.htm.

http://www.rccsd.org/MSmith/Writers'Workshop.htm

http://www.scholastic.com/

http://www.washburn.edu/services/zzcwwctr/persuasive-ltrs.wm.txt

http://www.hiddenvilla.org/OnlineCurric/teacher/curculum/actpersv.html



Some of the materials to be used with this lesson are attached in a separate file due to the

size of the attachments. It is labeled lesson 5 materials. Four material sheets are not

shown here but included in the attachment.


Jack Bluebird

555 Sunset BlvdCaribbean Bay, MN 34567

March 17, 2009

Principal DavyJonesCaribbean Day School111 Myway DriveCaribbean Bay, MN 34567

Dear Principal DavyJones:

At the last school board meeting much discussion centered on the issue of recess. It has come to my attention that the members are thinking about canceling recess. As a recess-loving fourth grader at Caribbean Day School, I would like to remind you why recess exists and why it is important for all elementary aged children.

Students apply themselves at school. We work hard and our minds and bodies need a break from the intense learning. Recess gives us a chance to socialize breath fresh air and do what we choose for a short period of time. We get to be ourselves. We relax, play with out friends, laugh and participate in team-centered sports activities. After recess, we have renewed energy. We are motivated and ready to apply ourselves again to our studies.

Some people might argue that recess is a waste of time. They feel students should just study, study, study. I think students should be well-rounded people. I think that is part of our mission statement. Recess, in fact, supports the mission of our school and the development of us as growing children. Please listen to my request and do not take recess away.

I appreciate you attention,

Jack Bluebird

Signature Line

Closing Line

Body of Letter

Greeting / Salutation

Inside Address:The Receiver

Heading: The Sender’s add.


Parts of a Formal Letter: Definitions

Heading: This part contains the return address. That is your address. (skip line) A date is include on the last night. Sometimes an e-mail or a phone number is included in this part. (skip line)

Inside Address: You are sending the letter to this address. This information because of its position, if the letter is folded a special way, can appear in a transparent window in an envelope. This information is also important because what if the envelope got lost and the office workers did not know who should receive the letter. (skip line)

Greeting: This is also called salutation. Do you know of another word that sounds the same? This is a formal letter so a person’s first and last names are used. It also starts with Dear. The person’s title is also used. Mr. (male), Mrs. (married female), Ms. (unmarried or marital status unknown older female), Dr. (doctor of PhD.), Sir (younger male) Miss (younger female). The greeting always ends in a colon. (skip line)

Body: This is the text of the letter. (skip line)

Closing: This is a short, polite closing. It ends with a comma. (skip two lines)

Signature Line: This includes the typed name of the sender. The sender will sign their name above the typed name.

Information culled from: Business Letters. Electronically retrieved on March 17, 2009 from http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000149.htm


Pendergast Smith1234 East StreetTopeka, KN 55511

March 17, 2009

Rick Streetsher2545 West 31st StreetTopeka, Kansas 66611

Dear Mr. Streetsher,

It was a pleasure meeting you Sunday at the Open House. I am excited that you are looking to buy a new home. House hunting can be an exhausting experience. I would like to help you find the home that is just right for you.

It can be difficult for a person not represented by a real estate agent to be aware of everything when you are house shopping. The homes in good locations and reasonably priced will not be for sale very long. I study the new listings throughout the area from a computer that gives me up to the minute information. I can help you.

Real estate agents are often thought to be dishonest. It is in my best interest to always keep my clients interest in mind. I would rather become friends with my clients and remembered as trustworthy so you could refer me to others, thereby building my business.

Right now is a good time to buy real estate. Houses are inexpensive. You can get a loan at a good price. I feel the time to buy is now before interest rates rise and while the price of homes is within reason. I can help you.

Sincerely,

Pendergast SmithRealtor

Retrieved electronically on March 17, 2009 from http://www.washburn.edu/services/zzcwwctr/persuasive-ltrs.wm.txt Modified by Cindy Livingston



Persuasive Letter Writing Guidelines1. Introduce yourself (who you are and how you are connected to the issue

or to your intended audience).

2. Briefly explain your issue of concern (why you are writing).

3. Explain how your intended audience is connected to the issue.

4. Say what you would like them to do (thesis statement).

5. Write your body paragraphs, each focusing on a different main point or

action you would like them to take. Start with your strongest argument.

6. In your conclusion, briefly remind your intended audience what action(s) you want them to take and thank them ahead of time for considering your ideas.

Remember, you are trying to convince someone to do something they might not really want to do. You definitely want them to read your entire letter. Therefore, while your arguments absolutely must be strong, it is best to write them in a polite way. Don't offend your reader. Also, when at all possible, integrate the self-interest of your intended audience into your arguments. How can your reader benefit from taking the actions you propose?

(Information electronically retrieved March 17, 2009 from http://www.hiddenvilla.org/OnlineCurric/teacher/curculum/actpersv.html)



Category 1 2 3 4General Design and Idea

I wrote the letter but my ideas were not persuasive or connected. They seem to be unrelated. I was not clear in my writing and do not really have a main idea or any supporting details. I don't even really know what I am writing about or whom I am writing to.

I wrote the letter but my ideas were not persuasive or connected. They seem to be unrelated. I was not clear in my writing and do not really have a main idea or any supporting details. I don't even really know what I am writing about or whom I am writing to.

My ideas are expressed in a pretty clear manner, but the organization can be better. I have a main idea and supporting details. I am pretty polite but the letter is not organized as smoothly as it could be.

My ideas are expressed in a clear and organized fashion. When reading it is easy to figure out what the letter is about. The main request is clear and the reasons (supporting details) are clearly stated. I am polite in the letter.

Letter Format I did not use any parts of the letter format. My letter is not even in paragraphs. I forgot most of the conventions to be used

I used 2 sections well in the letter. I did not space correctly between sections of the letter. I forgot many details such as date in heading, colon in greeting, and title of person's name.

I used 3 or 4 sections of the letter and they are clearly noticeable. My spacing between parts is almost accurate. I forgot a few details.

I used all six parts of a letter. My spacing is accurate between sections. I used a data in the heading, the word "Dear" , a title, and a colon in the greeting.

Grammar and Spelling (conventions)

I made more than 4 errors in grammar or spelling.

I made 3-4 errors in grammar and/or spelling.

I made 1-2 errors in grammar and/or spelling.

I made no errors in grammar and/or spelling.

Sentences and Paragraphs

I wrote sentences but they are in fragments or they run on. My paragraphing needs work and I did not use any transitions between paragraphs

Most of my sentences are complete and well-constructed. Paragraphing needs some work

All of my sentences are complete and well constructed (no fragments or run-ons). Paragraphing is generally done well.

I wrote sentences and paragraphs that are complete, well-constructed and of varied structure. I even used smooth transitions.

Neatness My letter is typed and looks like it has been shoved in a pocket or locker. It may have several distracting error corrections. It looks like it was done in a hurry or stored improperly.

My letter is typed and is crumpled or slightly strained. It may have 1 -2 distracting error corrections. It is done with some care.

My letter is neatly hand-written, clean, not wrinkled, and is easy to read with no distracting error corrections. It was done with care.

My letter is typed, clean, not wrinkles or dirty. It is easy to read with no distracting error corrections. It is done with pride and I can't wait to send it out.


CUPS Revise/Edit Checklist

Name _______________________________ Date _____________________

Title ___________________________________________________________

Read your piece carefully. Use a red colored pencil to make all corrections.

C...Capitalization ~first word in a sentence ~proper nouns

U…Understanding ~makes sense ~beginning, middle, ending ~interesting detail~indent where needed

P…Punctuation ~periods, question marks, exclamation points, commas,

quotation marksS…Spelling

~check Quick Word Dictionary, Word Wall, regular dictionary

I peer conferenced with ___________________________ and revised my work.

I met with a teacher for a final conference.

~Teacher ________________________________________

~Date __________________________________

Checklist electronically retrieved on March 17, 2009 from http://www.rccsd.org/MSmith/Writers'Workshop.htm



References



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Prefix / Suffix information. (2009). Fourth grade language arts skills. Internet4Classrooms.

Retrieved March 8, 2009 from http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_4th_lang.htm.

Persuasive Writing Samples. (2009). Example writing. Retrieved March 17,

2009 from http://www.washburn.edu/services/zzcwwctr/persuasive-ltrs.wm.txt.

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2009 from http://www.hiddenvilla.org/OnlineCurric/teacher/curculum/actpersv.html.

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http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/Tips.html.

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http://instructionweb.com

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Retrieved March 16, 2009 from

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