Rationale for Book & Instructional Setup
As a famous picture book, and selling over 400,000 copies, Patricia Polacco created a book that can be used to demonstrate a number of literary elements. This book also shows a valuable lesson explaining to elementary students that everyone is different and learns in different ways. Therefore, it addresses how determination can help you achieve anything! When focusing on “comprehension within text,” students need to be able to determine a sequence of the main events of the text. The reader captures the most important parts of the text but expresses them in a shorter version so the text is more easily remembered. The CAFÉ menu suggests a strategy such as “Summarize Text; Include Sequence of Main Events,” on the comprehension column (p. 164). |
Book Information
Author: Polacco, Patricia Illustrator: Polacco, Patricia Title: Thank You Mr. Falker ISBN: 9780399257629 Place of Publication: New York Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated Date of Publication: 2012 Number of Pages: 40 pages Recommended / Listed Price: Review: Trisha, a young girl with a disability learns how cruel kids can really be. Polacco created an autobiographical tribute to her fifth-grade teacher, the first adult to recognize her learning disability and to help her learn to read. Since her first year in school, learning has always been something she wanted to know how to do. However, as the years go buy and she still cannot read, she begins to think she is dumb. But then, when she makes it to fifth grade, Mr. Falker begins to work with her and teach her how to read During this time, the rest of the kids in Trisha’s class would constantly make fun of her. This book is quite interesting because it has a unique perspective to it; it shows how Trisha is the author. (Picture book, 5-9) |
Activate prior Knowledge:
Often times, students have a difficult time with connecting to the story and creating background knowledge on the topic of the book. Therefore, to activate prior knowledge, the students could create a “quick write,” to help them connect to Trisha, the main character of the story. The students will take about ten minutes to write about a time they had trouble understanding something in class. What was it? How did you feel? How did you solve the problem?
Next, they will turn to a partner and share their experience. After talking with their partner, each group will share one of their experiences and how they solved the problem. This will get them thinking for when we are reading the book. As they read they will think about Trisha’s problem. Why do you think she doesn't go to anyone for help? Think about how she can solve her problem. What suggestions would you give her? We will stop at different points in the book and discuss what the students would do if they were in Trisha’s shoes.
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Establish Purpose & Interactive Read Aloud:
The teacher will then state the purpose of the lesson by explaining the importance of summarizing when reading a text. Using this strategy is essential for students because it helps them capture the most important parts of text but expresses them in a shorter version so that the text is more easily remembered (p. 164). During the interactive read aloud, the teacher will focus on important comprehension questions to help students summarize the text and helpful language to remember main events. Comprehension Questions: -What couldn't Trisha do as well as the other first graders? -At Trisha's new school in California, what did the children call her? Why? -What was the name of Trisha's fifth grade teacher? -What did Mr. Falker promise Trisha? -Who does the character Trisha represent? -What did the tradition of pouring honey on the book represent? StorylineOnline (2012, May 21). Thank you, Mr. Falker [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=abN2aP_Dzd0 |
Connection/ Teaching Point:
Students will be introduced to the "GIST" summarizing strategy. GIST stands for generating interaction between schema and text. This is a helpful resource for students because it helps them create a summary. Below is a picture of a graphic organizer to help the students with the GIST strategy. This is also a good way for teachers to assess to see if the student's understood what they read and were able to pull out the main events from the story.
Students will be introduced to the "GIST" summarizing strategy. GIST stands for generating interaction between schema and text. This is a helpful resource for students because it helps them create a summary. Below is a picture of a graphic organizer to help the students with the GIST strategy. This is also a good way for teachers to assess to see if the student's understood what they read and were able to pull out the main events from the story.
Modelling:
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Active Engagement:
The students will then continue to read the text, Thank you, Mr. Falker. As they are reading the rest of the book, they will continue to write important keywords and phrases that will be helpful to write their summary. Once they have compiled a list of several words from the book, they will begin to write a short summary of the book. The teacher will explain and remind the students to be sure that they are including the main events from the story. They will then create their summary based on the keywords and phrases they wrote down of the sequence of main events.
Link:
As a quick link/send off activity, students will fill out a graphic organizer on main events from the story to make sure they are including important parts. The tool the students will use is a S.W.B.S.T. graphic organizer. This is also another great way for teachers to assess students to see if they are comprehending what they are reading.