An Educator's Guide to I Survived by Lauren Tarshis
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– 5 An Educator’s Guide to GRADES 2 by Lauren Tarshis Featuring Classroom Activities for Teaching Includes specifi c text-based examples for to the COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS • Content Area Connections in the areas of • Comprehension Activities • Reading Standards for Literature (RL) • Word Study • Writing Standards (W) • Writing Connections • Language Standards (L) • Technology Connections About the Series Do You Have What It Takes to Survive? Take your students on an adventurous historical journey, engaging them in a Common Core thematic author study. The activities in this guide engage students in reading groups, class discussions, and individual writing opportunities. Encourage your students to make connections between the events in the books and in their own lives. About the “I Survived” Books Does surviving a disaster change who you are? Or, does it force you to look inside yourself to discover what was there all along? Hopefully, your students, unlike the protagonists in the series, will never have to fi nd out. Still, there is something intriguing about disasters that attracts people of all ages. The I Survived historical fi ction series takes young readers on journeys into the past, giving them an up close and personal view of terrifying and thrilling adventures based on disasters that have left their mark on history. Most importantly, the books follow the main characters on a soul-searching quest, as they discover how resilient they truly are and fi nd out that they are also survivors. “Tarshis has done Meet the Author Lauren Tarshis is the author of the a masterful job… I Survived series as well as the critically acclaimed Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell vivid language that Out of a Tree and Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love. She is also the editor of a reluctant reader the Scholastic magazine Storyworks. Additional I Survived teacher resources, can handle.” including comprehension quizzes, can be —Library Media found online at laurentarshis.com. Connection Lauren Tarshis is an inspiration for every student and teacher. If you know a student who struggles with reading or who never imagined he or she could write, much less publish a book, then introduce them to Lauren. During a videotaped interview at scholastic.com/Isurvived/author.htm, Lauren shares her research strategies and Photo: David Dreyfuss explains how she plunks her characters into historical events, creating thrilling adventure books. More importantly, she shares a well-guarded childhood secret, one she kept from family, friends, and teachers for most of her school years. Lauren hated school because she struggled with reading, not even reading a book until she was in high school. As an adult, she fell in love with children’s literature and learned to write children’s books by analyzing the author’s style of writing, much as we are asked to do with the Common Core. Introduce your students to a role model, someone who overcame reading struggles to enjoy endless hours of reading and writing. Now Lauren is living a dream she never imagined—and teaching students that it is never too late to learn. 2 Common Core Connections Complexity of Text Vocabulary Connections (L.6) (RL.4) Common Core asks us to include Text complexity is measured by three Tier II vocabulary, or terms that criteria: quantitative, qualitative, transcend all content areas, as well and student knowledge and task as content-specifi c vocabulary. An complexity. The Lexile levels range author study provides a window from 590L to 620L. Each book in the into the author’s style of writing, I Survived historical fi ction adventure including vocabulary that are often series begins with a fl ashback, repeated throughout the series. An captivating students by starting the added benefi t is that these stories are story at a climactic point in history. rich in jargon, specialized vocabulary, The author’s use of metaphors, such as nautical or military terms, or similes, onomatopoeia, and other earthquakes and hurricanes. These literary devices provides rich fodder terms build necessary background for exploring connotative and knowledge that supports learning in fi gurative meaning of the text. The other content areas. qualitative measures, combined with student background knowledge and Comprehension with the text-dependent tasks listed Activities Distinguishing Fact from Fiction below, suggest that the books are (RL.9) perfect for intermediate grade levels. (See reproducible: “Fact or Fiction”) Content Area After reading the book, read the Connections author’s notes and facts in the back. History Connections (RL.9) As a group, identify ten details from These fi ctional stories are based the story that are factual, or based on historical events. Whether you on historical events or scientifi c are hanging over the edge of a research, and ten details that are magnifi cent sinking ship, swimming fi ctional, or created from the author’s in raging fl oodwaters, or dodging imagination. Draw a conclusion. “Incorporates bombs that are falling like rain, the Which parts of the story are based historical facts embedded within the on facts and which are fi ctional? information about stories build background knowledge. The author’s notes at the back of the (Answers will vary. Overall, the real events and book help students understand how dates and events are factual, but the a writer researches and weaves fact character is fi ctional. For example, fi ctionalizes it, and fi ction into a story, providing a in I Survived Hurricane Katrina, great model for using research in a 2005, the dates, the breaking of then follows the creative writing project. the levees, and the reason for the fl ooding are factual. The mandatory story with facts… Science Connections (W.7) evacuation of the people in the You can’t help but ask questions Lower Nine to the Superdome is gripping…will when reading these adventure true. Abandoning pets is also a hold the interest of stories. Do all sharks attack people? true fact. The characters, including What makes an iceberg so powerful Barry, his friends, and Cruz are a reluctant readers.” that it can sink an unsinkable ship? part of the author’s imagination. The How do hurricanes form? The rich creation of the comic book superhero —School Library Journal details spark inquiring minds. It is is also fi ctional.) a perfect time to engage students in mini research projects, inspiring Summarizing the Story (RL.2) them to become self-motivated (See reproducible: “Newspaper learners as they seek answers to Article”) scientifi c questions and build a better When tragedy strikes, newspapers understanding of their world. report on the event. Pretend that 3 Common Core Connections you are a news reporter during the Understanding Character Traits historical time period and interview (RL.3) the main character. Write an I (See reproducible: “Character Study”) Survived newspaper article, using Working in groups, brainstorm a details from the book to tell the list of words that describe the main character’s story. Be sure to provide character. Select the BEST word the who, what, where, when, why, that describes the character (e.g., and how details. courageous, determined, persistent). Label the front of an index card with Understanding Denotation and the character trait. On the back, Connotation (RL.4) write a detail from the story that Identify examples of fi gurative BEST supports the word selected. language, onomatopoeia, or idioms Focus on details that describe what from the book. Select one. Create a the character says or does. Sort the poster explaining what the author details from strongest to weakest. “really” means, or the connotative meaning. Draw a picture or use clip Use the two strongest details to art to illustrate the literal meaning. write a paragraph answering the Include the excerpt from the text question: What word BEST describes on the poster. Be sure to cite the the main character? (Answers will page number. Write a sentence or vary. In I Survived the San Francisco two explaining the connotative Earthquake, 1906, one student may meaning. Display the posters on the describe Leo as loyal and another classroom walls. as persistent. In either case, the students can support their opinions Compare and Contrast Genres (RL.5) by using the character’s actions, A great way to increase comprehen- such as running into a fi re to save sion is to develop reading fl uency. his friend, Morris. He did not give Nothing does that better than up even when it meant risking his reader’s theater. Read-aloud plays for own life.) I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 and I Survived Hurricane An example of a cumulative Katrina, 2005 are available at activity is to meet as a whole laurentarshis.com. Compare and class to fi ll in the character study “Realistic and contrast the play and prose versions. matrix. Each group will choose a (Answers will vary. A play is driven book and select what they believe gripping…will keep by dialogue with some narration. is the BEST character trait and A story is driven with a well- fi ll in the corresponding section of readers turning orchestrated balance of narration and the classroom chart. Each group dialogue that functions to slow down will present their section to the the pages.” or speed up the story.) whole class. —Kirkus Reviews Identifying Types of Confl icts (RL.9) Analyzing the Author’s Craft (RL.5) Create a chart to compare and Understanding the use of a fl ashback contrast the confl icts in the book. helps to better understand plot or Use sticky notes to sort the main the sequence of events in the story. character’s confl icts, both internal Identify where the fl ashback in the (man vs.