The Boy Who Cried Wolf- Traditional Literature- Week 4

Hennessy, B. G., & Kulikov, B. (2006). The boy who cried wolf. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf is a story of a boy who is tending to his sheep. He is extremely bored and decides to convince the townspeople a wolf is after his sheep for entertainment. After a few times of trying to help the boy out, the townspeople have caught on. When the boy actually does have a wolf after his sheep no one comes to his rescue.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf is a fable. Most fables incorporate animals as the characters. However, this particular book does not. What makes this story a fable is that it has a moral. The moral is to not lie or people won't believe when you are actually telling the truth.
The artistic media used throughout the book are cartoon paintings in watercolor. The watercolor (used to create a "lighter mood") and the cartoon style pair together to appeal to children.

Curriculum Connection:
The Boy Who Cried Wolf could be used in any classroom as a character building activity. To connect with the curriculum though you could have students discuss the theme (moral) of the story. Then have students write their own fables that include a moral. This activity would be used with students in older elementary grades.

Standard:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

BIG Question:
Can you think of a time when someone throughout history has "cried wolf"?

The Hunger Games- Modern Fantasy Week 3

Collins, S. (2009). The hunger games. New York: Scholastic Press.


Summary
Katniss Everdeen is a poor teenage girl who lives in District 12, a section of what used to be the United States, now known as Panem. Every year the Capitol hosts a reaping where one boy and one girl from each district are chosen to participate in the Hunger Games. When Katniss's little sister is chosen, she knows she must volunteer in her place. Katniss must defeat everyone else in the Hunger Games in order to return home to her family. With 23 other participants seeking to kill her first, the odds are not in her favor.

Literary Terms

Collins’s The Hunger Games is a modern fantasy. The actual Hunger Games that take place in the book are inside of a large dome created by the Capitol. The Capitol controls everything within the dome. For example, they can change the weather, make the forest catch fire, or create animal attacks to make the games go the way they choose.  Collins uses the cycle format by writing three books in The Hunger Games series (Catching Fire and Mockingjay). Each book tells a different story, but Collins ends each with a cliffhanger. You must read the second and third books to find out what happens to each of the characters.

 

Curriculum Activity

Science Connection: “Muttations” (from the book) are two species combined. For example, the book talks about Mockingjays , Jabberjays, and tracker jackers. Students could learn the benefits of cross-breeding species and why animals of different species are not supposed to be able to mate with one another (breeding barriers). They could also learn the different technologies of how humans can genetically alter other organisms (plants, etc.)

Activity: Students can create their own species by crossing any two species they choose. They must list both parent 1 and parent 2, include a drawing, and list any advantages/disadvantages to their new species.

 Science Standard (Next Generation Science Standard)

MS-LS4-5. Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.

 Big Question (Social Studies)

The Hunger Games is a futuristic United States. Do you think the United States could ever be controlled like the districts are by the Capitol? Why or why not?

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! Booktalk- Week 2

Scieszka, J. (1996). The true story of the three little pigs! New York: Viking

I bet you all think you know the story of the three little pigs, but think again! There are two sides to every story.
The so-called Big Bad Wolf claims to be innocent of huffing and puffing and blowing pigs' houses in. All he wanted to do was bake a cake for his "dear old granny" when he ran out of sugar and tried to borrow some from his neighbors. Read Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs to find out the side of the story news reporters tried to cover up. Decide for yourself whose story you will believe.

The Treasure- Week 2 Picture Book Reflection

Shulevitz, U. (1978). The treasure. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.

A poor old man dreams that if he travels to the capital city he will find a treasure. He travels there only to find it guarded day and night. When the guard questions his presence, he tells him to go home and search for the treasure there. You will have to read the book to discover if the poor old man finds a treasure.

The Treasure is a Caldecott Honor Book. The illustrations within the book are unique. Shulevitz uses muted colors to go along with the story. The old man in the book is traveling, the nature scenes are better suited with subtle colors. The artistic style chosen by the illustrator/author is folk art. The story's setting is several decades ago in a foreign country. The reader knows the setting by the language used in the story and the illustrations of a horse and buggy.

The Treasure is written with a lesson learned at the end. In the classroom, students (grades 1-2) could discuss a lesson they have learned recently in their own lives. Students could also create their own picture books with a lesson learned. Their picture book could be based off of their own personal experiences or one they have made up.


Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.2- Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

BIG Question(s): Why did the man not listen to his dream when it occurred the first time? Why, when he reached the capital city, did he not try harder to look under the bridge?