grade8 Strategies That Build Comprehension and Community UNIT 3 REPLACEMENT LESSONS Use the lessons on the following pages to substitute the new edition of The Giver (published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014) for the previous edition (published by Laurel-Leaf, 2002). © Developmental Studies Center Weeks 1–5 MM-RLES82-WEB Unit 3 A Analyzing Elements of Fiction Overview of Week 1 Comprehension Focus • Students analyze relationships among character, setting, and plot in a novel. The Giver • Students make inferences and think about by Lois Lowry explicit and implicit meanings in text. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014) • Students explore literary devices, including Synopsis flashback and foreshadowing. Jonas’s world seems perfect until he is selected to receive special training Social Development Focus and finds out the truth about his community. • Students take responsibility for themselves. • Students use prompts to help them listen and connect their ideas. Alternative Book • Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick Do Ahead • Collect longer and shorter fiction stories for the students to read independently throughout the unit. (See “About Teaching Elements and Devices of Fiction” on page 90.) • Make multiple copies of the “IDR Conference Notes” record sheet from BLM23. This week, you will begin using these sheets to document IDR conferences, tracking individual students’ growth in their independent reading. (For more about documenting IDR conferences, see page 94.) • Make transparencies of excerpt 1 from chapter 1 of The Giver (BLM2–5). Replacement Lesson © Developmental Studies Center Grade Eight 89 Unit 13 A Week 1 Day X Materials Day 1 • The Giver (pp. 1–13) Read-Aloud • Life in the Polar Lands (from Unit 2, Week 1) and Strategy Lesson • “IDR Conference Notes” record sheets (to be used during IDR throughout the program) Lesson Purpose Students: A Analyze relationships among character, setting, and plot in a novel. A Explore an example of foreshadowing. A Begin working with a new partner. A Take responsibility for themselves. About Teaching Elements and Devices of Fiction In this unit, the students explore fiction through Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver. They will hear 24 chapters (225 pages) over a five- week period, exploring relationships among elements of fiction (character, setting, and plot) as well as literary devices (flashback, foreshadowing, and symbolism). By studying excerpts from the story, asking questions, and making inferences, the students learn how a plot builds toward a climax and how character development and change is connected to what happens in the story and when and where it happens (plot and setting). They learn to look for these same elements and relationships in their own independent reading. Provide a variety of longer and shorter fiction texts at different levels for the students to read during Individualized Daily Reading. Fiction texts include mystery, adventure, science fiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction, fable, folktale, myth, and legend. PAIR STUDENTS AND GET READY TO WORK TOGETHER Randomly assign partners and have them sit together. Explain that during the coming weeks the students will work with the same partner. Remind them that talking and listening to a partner helps 90 Making Meaning® Replacement Lesson © Developmental Studies Center Analyzing ElementsThe Reading of Fiction Life them think more about what they are learning, and that at the end of the lesson they will report on their partner conversations. Ask: Q What do you want to keep in mind today to be a responsible partner? Why will that be important? Students might say: “I want to remember to ask questions if I don’t understand something my partner says.” “That’s important because I might have to report to the class what my partner says.” INTRODUCE FICTION AND THE GIVER Display Life in the Polar Lands and remind the students that they have been listening to and reading expository texts—texts that explain or give factual information. During the next few weeks the students will read a narrative text—a text that tells a story. In particular, they will read a fictional story—a story that is made up—and think about the common elements found in stories. Show the cover of The Giver, and read the name of the author. Explain that you will read this story aloud in sections. Read the copy on the back cover aloud, and ask: Q What do you think this story might be about? Q What questions already come to mind about the story? READ CHAPTER 1 ALOUD Explain that you will read the first chapter of The Giver aloud, and Teacher Note that you will stop several times during the reading to have partners talk about the story. Listeners can easily miss details at the beginning of a story. Read pages 1–13 aloud, slowly and clearly, stopping as described Rereading the first paragraph(s) on the next page. Stop and reread the first and second paragraphs before proceeding with the of the chapter (on pages 1–2) before continuing with the rest of rest of the story helps them the story. listen for any information they missed. Use this technique, when appropriate, during read-alouds throughout the program. Replacement Lesson © Developmental Studies Center Grade Eight 91 Unit 13 A Week 1 A Day X1 Suggested Vocabulary ironic tone: tone that suggests that there is something he is not saying (p. 3) tunic: plain jacket usually worn as part of a uniform (p. 5) apprehensive: worried (p. 6) rituals: special activities that are always performed the same way (p. 6) elderly: old people (p. 10) vital: important (p. 10) transgression: the act of breaking a law (p. 11) ELL Vocabulary English Language Learners may benefit from discussing additional vocabulary, including: fascinated: very interested (p. 1) obediently: following instructions without asking questions (p. 2) released: let go or set free (p. 3) salmon: type of fish (p. 5) distracted: had his attention pulled away from what he was doing (p. 5) conclusion: end (p. 6) What gender is it?: Is it male or female? (p. 9) disgrace: total loss of other people’s respect (p. 11) Stop after: Teacher Note p. 6 “Apprehensive, Jonas decided. That’s what I am.” One reason for not sharing as a class during the read-aloud Have the students use “Turn to Your Partner” to discuss what has is to help the students learn to happened so far and what might happen next. Without sharing as depend on their partner, rather a class, reread the last sentence, and continue reading. Repeat this than depending solely on you, procedure at the following stop: to confirm or support their p. 11 “Lily giggled. ‘Well,’ she said, ‘I thought maybe just thinking. Another is to maintain this once.’” the flow of the story. Continue reading to the end of page 13. Teacher Note DISCUSS THE STORY AND These questions begin to HIGHLIGHT FORESHADOWING Facilitate a brief whole-class discussion, using the following establish the students’ surface- questions. Be ready to reread passages to help the students recall level understanding of the story what they heard. Ask: before they start to analyze story elements over the next Who are the characters in the story so far? Who do you think is the several weeks. Q main character in this story? Why? 92 Making Meaning® Replacement Lesson © Developmental Studies Center Analyzing ElementsThe Reading of Fiction Life Q What have you found out about Jonas’s world? What did you hear that supports your thinking? Q (Reread the following passage on pages 5–6: “Jonas, nearing his home now, smiled at the recollection…. Apprehensive, Jonas decided. That’s what I am.”) How does Jonas feel about the fact that it is almost December? What did you hear that makes you think that? Students might say: “I think Jonas is the main character, because the author spends most of the time describing what he is thinking.” “The community has Nurturers who take care of the newchildren. It seems like the parents don’t take care of their own babies.” “The author describes Jonas as being frightened and apprehensive about what will happen to him in December.” “From all of those clues I think something bad or creepy might happen to Jonas at the Ceremony of Twelve.” Explain that at this point in the story the author does not tell us directly what will happen to Jonas, but by using a literary device called foreshadowing the author hints at what might happen later in the story. Authors use foreshadowing to help the reader anticipate future events before they happen and to set the mood of the story. Ask the students to listen for other examples of foreshadowing as you read The Giver aloud, and to look for examples in their independent reading. REFLECT ON TAKING RESPONSIBILITY DURING “TURN TO YOUR PARTNER” Tell the students that in the next lesson they will work again with their partner. Ask: Q How did you and your partner take responsibility for yourselves during “Turn to Your Partner”? Q What do you plan to do [the same way/differently] the next time you work with your partner? Replacement Lesson © Developmental Studies Center Grade Eight 93 Unit 13 A Week 1 A Day X1 Teacher Note Individualized Daily Reading This unit will give you an opportunity to meet with each START USING THE “IDR CONFERENCE NOTES” RECORD student and practice using the SHEET TO DOCUMENT CONFERENCES “IDR Conference Notes” record Have the students read books at their appropriate reading levels sheet to conduct and document independently for up to 30 minutes. individual student conferences. Each conference should last Tell the students that starting this week during IDR you will spend 5–10 minutes. In future units, more time conferring, or talking with them one-on-one, about their confer with your struggling books so that you can get to know each of them better and help students weekly (possibly more them become stronger readers.